HENDERSON, Nev. -- Chennedy Carter's inevitable return to the WNBA needed to be somewhere that reached far beyond an organization in need of her explosiveness and offensive prowess.
It had to be somewhere she needed just as much, if not more.
Point blank, there was no better landing spot than the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, where locker room culture leaves judgment at the door and embraces women for who they are, as long as they respect the main goal, of course.
I've seen far too many professional athletes come and go from Southern Nevada's two most successful professional organizations, as they've grown into annual championship contenders for what's become an impassioned fanbase.
Both the Aces and the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights have won a total of four championships and remain elite because their front offices understand the importance of building from the inside, where chemistry far outweighs talent.
Carter Joins a Championship Culture
So while it's true that Carter is great, and what she brings off the bench can help the Aces vie for a second straight title and fourth in five years, if the team's Bunsen burner didn't vibe and the chemistry was off, the 27-year-old would find herself on the waiver wire awfully quick.
President Nikki Fargas has assumed the role of general manager, and she's seen her fair share of basketball talent, both at the collegiate level and in the WNBA. She's smart enough to consult the right people rather than telling them - coach Becky Hammon and the world's best player, A'ja Wilson - "Hey, you have a new teammate."
Flipside, both Fargas and Hammon are intelligent enough to know they had to vet Carter personally and find out about her one-on-one. Forget the video clips, and rumors, and innuendos. Forget about any past controversy and hearsay about what she's done.
This was more about the here and now, who she is, and what she will do in a culture that was built on relationships that could deliver titles.
They knew what they were doing when they signed Carter.
Getting Comfortable at Home
Remember last year's social media response when the Aces landed NaLyssa Smith? There was an overwhelming outcry proclaiming she wasn't the answer and would be accompanied by drama. Nothing could have been further from the truth, and it didn't take long for disgruntled Aces fans to fall in love with Smith, who the team faithful quickly learned is no more than a well-mannered, fun-loving 25-year-old girl from Texas who happens to be really good at basketball.
It's social media that had jumped to conclusions about Smith before she arrived. Now, the crowd can't get enough of her.
The same might be said about Carter, who is already considered the leading candidate for Sixth Player of the Year.
Chennedy Carter over the last five games:
22.0 PPG
66.7% FG on 12.6 FGA/G
58.3% 3PT on 2.4 3PA/GOnly Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, and Caitlin Clark are averaging more points during that span. pic.twitter.com/2WpZW0KUhp
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) May 28, 2026
Upon checking into the Aces' last home game, for Smith with 5:13 left in the first quarter, the near-sellout crowd roared with approval when Carter took the floor.
Less than a minute later, when she drained a step-back, 19-foot jumper to give the Aces a 14-13 lead over the Los Angeles Sparks, the crowd went berserk.
"It's surreal to be able to have the opportunity to do the thing that I love - which is play basketball and showcase my skill set, my talent, my craft - and be a part of this special, amazing championship team and the caliber players (and) coaching staff," Carter said during an exclusive interview with Ballislife. "And the organization that we have, it's a wonderful feeling."
And Carter is well aware of the situation she's in, playing for an organization with one of the best owners in professional sports, Mark Davis. She can feel the aura upon walking into the Aces' world-class facility, which sits adjacent to the NFL Raiders' headquarters.
"Just knowing I have a lot of support from our vets ... it was a pretty smooth process," Carter said. "Having some established relationships, and some of the vets ... that I had when I came into the league, that converted easily. And then just a close relationship with A'ja, building a relationship with Jackie (Young), and Chelsea (Gray). It's been amazing."
Finding That Championship Balance
Did it matter when Carter cut her postgame press conference short after the team eked out a win in Atlanta, abruptly walking off after saying how "disappointed" she was in not closing the game? Absolutely.
That wouldn't fly, normally. And the social media trolls found their way to platforms with immediate opinions on why Carter was showing "true colors."
What they didn't know is that she was dealing with personal issues away from the court, and yet she still scored 20 points on 7 of 13 shooting. Would the PR team had put her in the postgame presser had it known what was going on? Definitely not.
And are those the types of wrinkles this team irons out regardless? Indeed, as Hammon handles these types of issues behind closed doors, and likely did on the flight back to Las Vegas, listening to Carter first and foremost before explaining to her key reserve, there was an executive decision to go big defensively at the end.
And while Carter said she's become appreciative of how Hammon coaches, allowing her to be herself every day without judgment, she is smart enough to know nothing is written in stone, and she still has plenty to prove.
She also made it clear her verdict remains out on whether or not the Aces is the right fit for her.
"I'm still obviously young in my career, looking for a home, looking for somewhere that I can be an established player," Carter said. "I can't just say when I sign somewhere, it's the perfect fit for me. But as of right now, it's looking good."
Trust me, Chennedy, it's looking damn good.
W.G. Ramirez is a 39-year veteran sports writer and 54-year resident of Southern Nevada who is a Senior Staff Writer at Ballislife.com. Follow him on X at @WillieGRamirez.
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