Aces considering options after losing GM, 2 assistant coaches

Aces season-ticket holders were treated to a panel discussion about women’s basketball Sunday at the team’s Henderson practice facility.

Team president Nikki Fargas moderated the courtside chat and was joined by Aces point guard Chelsea Gray and legendary South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.

It has been a turbulent offseason for the Aces since they were eliminated in the WNBA semifinals by the New York Liberty in their quest to win their third straight championship.

Assistant coach Natalie Nakase was the first to go, leaving to become coach of the expansion Golden State Valkyries.

A couple of weeks later, the Aces announced that general manager Natalie Williams’ contract would not be renewed as part of a “restructuring of the front office.”

Then, on Saturday, the team announced that assistant coach and player development coach Tyler Marsh was leaving to become the Chicago Sky’s new coach.

What happens next for the franchise is unclear based on Fargas’ vague response to questions.

When asked what led to Williams’ ouster, she said: “One of the things I will say about our organization is that we obviously love for us to bring in and give people opportunities. And we’re so excited about the path that is in front of everyone.”

Then, when asked if the Aces plan to hire a new general manager or give the reins to coach Becky Hammon, Fargas said: “We’re just going to take our time to look at what the restructuring of it will look like.”

Hammon’s coaching staff

Marsh played an integral role in the Aces’ offseason regimen. Without him, Gray isn’t sure how the next few weeks or months will look.

“It depends on how quickly we hire somebody or don’t hire someone,” she said. “Really trying to figure that part out, got to talk to Becky about that.”

The Aces are dispersed all over the country but communicating their shock via text message group chat, Gray said.

Fargas said she and Hammon are discussing their options for hiring replacements for Nakase and Marsh. They want to have assistants in place before free agency begins in January, Fargas said.

‘Bittersweet’ for Marsh

Gray spoke about Marsh’s role with the team in the present tense, saying it’s hard to “take in” his departure because he was in Las Vegas for Sunday’s event.

Afterward, Marsh said his hiring “progressed rather quickly.”

“I knew about a day before it actually happened,” he said. “I’ve been interviewing for the last couple weeks with a couple teams, and Chicago felt like the right fit for me.”

Marsh called the new chapter of his career “bittersweet,” and left a hint of what the Aces can expect to go against next season.

“The biggest drawing point is just the opportunity to build something new — to create an environment that like the Aces were able to establish,” he said. “The young talent and foundation that’s there and in place is definitely appealing to me.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.