The Las Vegas Aces have made one of the most surprising roster moves of the 2026 WNBA season, cutting ties with one of their most productive bench players just weeks after she looked like a legitimate contender for Sixth Player of the Year. Chennedy Carter’s release came without advance warning, leaving fans across the league asking the same question: what happened?
The Aces officially announced Tuesday that Carter had been waived. In the corresponding move, Las Vegas signed rookie guard Justine Pissott, who had previously been a developmental player with the Indiana Fever. The transaction immediately became one of the biggest talking points around the WNBA because of Carter’s production and the timing of the decision.
What makes the move even more surprising is that Carter wasn’t struggling on the court. In 14 appearances this season, she averaged 12.2 points while serving as the Aces’ first player off the bench, providing instant offense for a team chasing another championship. She had recently returned after missing several games because of a left leg and hip injury, followed by an undisclosed illness, before appearing in Las Vegas’ last two contests.
Only a few weeks ago, Carter’s resurgence looked like one of the best comeback stories in the league. She quickly became a spark plug for Becky Hammon’s rotation, regularly attacking the basket, creating offense in transition, and giving opposing second units major problems. Instead of discussing postseason awards, the basketball world is now discussing why one of the league’s most gifted scorers is once again searching for a new team.
The decision also raises fresh questions about Carter’s complicated WNBA journey. Talent has never been the issue. Since entering the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, Carter has consistently shown she can score against anyone. The challenge has been finding long-term stability with a franchise.
Her professional career began with the Atlanta Dream, where she earned All-Rookie Team honors in 2020 after averaging 17.4 points per game. She quickly established herself as one of the fastest guards in the league and one of its toughest one-on-one scorers.
However, her tenure in Atlanta ended on a difficult note. During the 2021 season, the Dream suspended Carter indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team before eventually moving on from the talented guard.
The next stop was the Los Angeles Sparks, but that opportunity also proved short-lived. Carter appeared in 24 games during the 2022 season before being waived, leaving many wondering whether another WNBA franchise would be willing to take another chance on a player whose ability was unquestioned but whose career had become increasingly turbulent.
After sitting out the 2023 WNBA season, Carter rebuilt her value with the Chicago Sky in 2024. It became arguably the best season of her professional career. She averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting an outstanding 48.7% from the field.
Those numbers placed her among the league’s most efficient guards. She finished 14th in the WNBA in scoring and ranked second among guards in field-goal percentage. Even more impressively, she became only the third guard in league history to convert at least 50% of her two-point attempts while averaging double-digit shot attempts per game.
Despite that breakout campaign, Carter did not return to Chicago and missed the entire 2025 WNBA season before signing a training camp contract with Las Vegas on April 15, 2026. Initially, many viewed the signing as low-risk, high-reward. It didn’t take long for Carter to prove she deserved a roster spot.
She became one of the Aces’ most reliable reserves, providing scoring punch behind stars including A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd. Early in the season, several analysts even viewed her as one of the league’s strongest candidates for Sixth Player of the Year because of her instant impact off the bench.
That is precisely why Tuesday’s announcement stunned so many observers.
The Aces have not publicly provided a detailed explanation beyond announcing the roster transaction. As a result, speculation quickly spread across social media, although no official reason beyond the roster move has been confirmed by the organization. Online discussion has centered on Carter’s recent injury absence, illness and the franchise’s roster management, but the team itself has remained silent regarding any additional factors.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas will now see whether Justine Pissott can provide additional depth. The 22-year-old guard starred collegiately at Tennessee and Vanderbilt before being selected 25th overall by the Indiana Fever in this year’s WNBA Draft. She has yet to appear in a regular-season WNBA game but now receives an opportunity with one of the league’s championship contenders.
For Carter, the next chapter becomes one of the biggest storylines to watch around the league. Few available free agents possess her offensive ceiling. She has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to score at all three levels, attack defenders off the dribble and instantly change the pace of a game.
The challenge, however, is convincing another front office that this time will be different. Every stop in Carter’s WNBA career has featured moments of brilliance, followed by unexpected endings.
At just 27 years old, Carter still has plenty of basketball ahead of her. Her scoring talent remains undeniable, and teams needing offensive firepower could certainly express interest. Whether another contender takes that chance or whether this becomes another difficult pause in a career filled with extraordinary highs and frustrating setbacks will likely become one of the defining stories of the second half of the WNBA season.
For now, one thing is certain: a player who looked like one of the league’s most dangerous reserves is suddenly back on the open market, and the basketball world is still trying to understand how such a promising partnership ended so abruptly.
