Chennedy Carter has once again found herself searching for a new team. The Las Vegas Aces made one of the WNBA’s most surprising roster decisions Tuesday, waiving the former No. 4 overall pick just months after giving her another opportunity to revive her career. The move came ahead of the league’s midseason roster deadline and marked yet another unexpected chapter for one of the WNBA’s most talented and polarizing players.
While the Aces did not publicly explain the decision, Carter’s release raises fresh questions about whether the gifted scorer will receive another opportunity elsewhere in the league.
Aces move on from Chennedy Carter
Las Vegas announced Tuesday that it had waived Carter and signed rookie Justine Pissott, who had been on a developmental contract with the Indiana Fever, to a rest-of-season contract. The timing surprised many around the league.
Carter opened the season as one of the WNBA’s most productive reserves, averaging 17.5 points during May while shooting an eye-popping 65.1% from the field and 58.8% from three-point range. She quickly emerged as the Aces’ second-leading scorer behind A’ja Wilson and looked like an early frontrunner for the Sixth Player of the Year award.
However, her season changed dramatically over the following weeks. A leg injury sidelined Carter for multiple games in June before an undisclosed illness caused her to miss even more time. Upon returning, her role diminished significantly, and she averaged just 3.8 points across five appearances in June and July while playing fewer than 12 minutes per game.
The defending champions ultimately decided to move in a different direction.
Another stop in a turbulent career
Carter entered the WNBA with enormous expectations after starring at Texas A&M and being selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She immediately flashed star potential, averaging 17.4 points as a rookie despite missing time with an ankle injury.
Since then, though, her career has been defined by frequent stops and off-court questions as much as her talent. Atlanta suspended Carter indefinitely during the 2021 season for conduct detrimental to the team before trading her to the Los Angeles Sparks. Her stint in Los Angeles also ended after one season, with reports that she had been benched for conduct-related reasons before eventually being waived.
After spending 2023 out of the league, Carter resurfaced with the Chicago Sky in 2024 and reminded everyone of her offensive ability by averaging 17.5 points per game. Despite leading Chicago in scoring, the Sky elected not to bring her back amid reported concerns about locker-room dynamics. She spent 2025 playing professionally in Mexico before the Aces gave her another opportunity this season.
Now, that opportunity has also come to an end.
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What’s next for Carter?
There’s little debate about Carter’s talent. Few guards in the WNBA possess her ability to attack the basket and create offense. At her best, she can change a game almost single-handedly, which is why multiple franchises have continued giving her another chance despite previous setbacks.
The bigger question is whether another team believes the upside outweighs the risk. Organizations searching for bench scoring could certainly justify taking a chance on the 26-year-old, especially with injuries affecting rosters across the league. At the same time, Carter has now been waived or moved on from by four different WNBA organizations, making any future opportunity far from guaranteed.
For now, one of the league’s most gifted offensive players is once again without a team. Whether this marks another temporary setback or the end of her WNBA career may depend on whether another franchise believes Carter can finally turn elite talent into long-term stability.