Aces lose another veteran in free agency, this time to Storm
Veteran forward Alysha Clark is moving on from the Aces and returning to the Seattle Storm, a source confirmed to the Review-Journal on Thursday.
Clark, 37, spent the first nine seasons of her career with the Storm, earning WNBA titles in 2018 and 2020. She joined the Washington Mystics as a free agent in 2021 before she joined the Aces in 2023.
The 2023 WNBA sixth player of the year was vital in the team’s second consecutive championship run.
Aces coach Becky Hammon often referred to Clark as “steady Eddy” for her consistency off the bench. She averaged 6.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season.
Clark is the second-oldest player in the league. She may be the oldest this upcoming season, as 42-year-old Diana Taurasi is reportedly planning to retire. But Clark doesn’t expect her years of service to play a role in what she can do next season.
“I know there’s still so much more room for improvement,” Clark said in October.”The way athletics has been moving, with recovery and all the science behind it, you can’t use (age) as a factor for real.”
The Aces have now lost three key bench pieces this offseason. All were unrestricted free agents. The Aces tried to re-sign Clark and 2024 sixth player of the year Tiffany Hayes, who signed with the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday. Veteran guard Sydney Colson signed with the Indiana Fever.
Aces coach Becky Hammon traveled to watch Clark participate in the Athletes Unlimited offseason basketball league’s opening night Wednesday. Hammon was accompanied by assistants Charlene Thomas-Swinson and Ty Ellis in what was likely a scouting endeavor. It could have also been part of the effort to appeal to Clark one last time.
“They don’t make ‘em like (Clark) anymore,” Hammon said when invited to speak on the broadcast. “She’s really special.”
ESPN cited the Aces’ limited salary cap space as a reason the the team couldn’t entice Clark to return.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.
