Aces sign Joyner Holmes, waive Emma Cannon
The Aces have waived forward Emma Cannon and are signing Joyner Holmes in a corresponding roster move, the team announced Saturday afternoon.
Holmes, 23, was the No. 19 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft and played the 2020 season with the New York Liberty. In 19 games, the 6-foot-3-inch forward averaged 2.9 points in 10 minutes per game. She was waived by the Liberty on May 12 after one game in which she played five minutes.
Holmes played college basketball at Texas from 2016 to 2020 and was one of the best players in the Big 12. She averaged 13.1 points and and 8.7 rebounds as a senior in 2019-20 and adds size and athleticism to the Aces’ frontcourt.
Cannon, 31, signed with the Aces last September and played one regular-season game before emerging as a rotation player in the postseason in wake of an injury to two-time reigning Sixth Woman of the Year Dearica Hamby. She averaged 14.3 minutes in six playoff games last fall and scored 17 points in a 104-91 loss to the Seattle Storm in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
Cannon returned to Aces training camp this spring and earned one of the final roster spots. The 6-2 wing played in three games this season, averaging 5.7 minutes and 2.0 points.
She played nine minutes Friday in a 113-77 victory over the Indiana Fever.
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
Game Day
Who: Aces vs. Indiana Fever
When: 3 p.m., Sunday
Where: Michelob Ultra Arena
TV: MyLVTV
About the Aces (4-2): Las Vegas scored a franchise record 113 points in the first matchup Friday, bolstering a number of metrics through two weeks of the WNBA season. First, the Aces lead the WNBA in offensive rating, scoring 109.9 points per 100 possessions. Second, they rank second in defensive rating, allowing 96.7 points per 100 possessions. As a result, they lead the WNBA with a net rating of plus-13.2 points per 100 possessions. Super sub Dearica Hamby scored a season-high 25 points on Friday. She is averaging 12.8 points to go with 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals.
About the Fever (1-6): Former Aces point guard Danielle Robinson has taken the reins as Indiana's starting point guard. She's averaging 9.9 points and 3.9 assists and posted eight points and four assists Friday against her former team. Tiffany Mitchell scored 17 on Friday to lead the Fever, who allow 109.5 points per 100 possessions — the most in basketball. Their net rating of minus-13.6 also ranks 11th of 12 WNBA teams.
