Aces make shocking roster decision with trade deadline coming into view
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
While the Las Vegas Aces still remain as one of the top teams in the WNBA, that did not stop them from making some modifications to their roster.
On Tuesday, the Aces made the decision to waive guard Chennedy Carter. In a corresponding roster move, the team has signed wing Justine Pissott from the Indiana Fever.
On the surface, the decision comes as a shock, with Carter averaging 12.9 points per game while coming off of the bench as a microwave scorer.
However, over the past month, Carter had seen her role begin to wane with the Aces. During a month which saw Carter slowed due to injuries and an illness, Jewell Loyd retook her spot as the sixth woman off the bench, and both Loyd and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus found themselves in starting lineups over the guard. This came with a bit of a reduction in minutes, as well, which likely played a role in the decision to place Carter on waivers.
It ultimately adds yet another twist in the professional career of the talented, yet mercurial, guard, who will now be on the hunt for her fourth WNBA team in her seven-year professional career.
Replacing Carter in the lineup is an upside play in Pissott, who was drafted by Indiana in the second round of the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Signed as a development player by the Fever, Pissott’s only WNBA appearance so far came during the preseason, scoring eight points and going two-for-three from three-point range in a 109-91 victory over the New York Liberty on April 25.
During her collegiate career at Tennessee and Vanderbilt, Pissott established a reputation as a deadeye shooter from deep. In her final year at Vanderbilt, Pissott made 42.2 percent of her three-point shots while averaging seven per game, leading to a career-high 11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Commodores.
Another interesting thing of note is the trade deadline looming on Aug. 2, meaning that the Aces could be in for a month of change ahead outside of their current core.
It remains to be seen if Carter exiting stage right in favor of Pissott is the only move in a hectic period, or the prelude of a potentially explosive month ahead.
