There's never silence in championship team rosters, and this month's move by the defending champions, the Aces, confirms that even being talented does not give one job security.

In an interview on the Road Trippin' Show, Cynthia Cooper discussed the Aces waiving Chennedy Carter.

"As an organization that's been super successful and that has the reigning MVP, culture is big. You have to make sure your house is in order. Unfortunately, that did not include Chennedy," Cooper said.

Her remarks were made during an episode of the Road Trippin' Show that aired in July. The timing of her statement aligns with the facts presented here. Las Vegas waived Carter just hours before the deadline set by the WNBA for its salary guarantee, thus avoiding paying her a salary of $277,500.

Performance played into the timing as well. Carter opened the season averaging 19.1 points per game off the bench, a genuinely strong contribution, before injuries and illness eroded her role.

Frustration boiled over in May when she posted about her reduced minutes, prompting coach Becky Hammon to scale back her playing time before cutting her outright.

Her time in the league has seen similar incidents, with the Atlanta Dream suspending her in 2021, the Los Angeles Sparks benching and cutting her in 2023, and her remaining unsigned last season even after leading the Chicago Sky in scoring.

Where the Aces Stand Without Chennedy Carter

The Las Vegas team's current standing is 17-7, which is third place in the Western Conference. The Aces are practically unbeatable away from home with a record of 10-2 but have a home record of 7-5.

They also pushed all the way to the Commissioner's Cup championship game, going 6-1 in qualifying before falling to New York in the final. The offense has carried this team all season.

Las Vegas averages 89.9 points per game with a 112.6 offensive rating, fourth best league-wide. A'ja Wilson leads everyone in scoring at 25.7 points per game, adding 9.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

Defense tells a different story. The Aces rank seventh with a 107.6 defensive rating, landing them a solid but unspectacular plus 5.0 net rating. Chelsea Gray keeps things organized with 7.3 assists per game.

Rookie Justine Pissott, Carter's replacement, already made history by hitting five threes in her WNBA debut.

Do you think the Aces are better off without Chennedy Carter, or will they miss her scoring down the stretch? Comment down and let us know.

Read More at Her Sports Nation!

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta