Aces waive center Brown, two others as training camp begins

The Aces on Monday waived center Kalani Brown after the 6-foot-7-inch rim protector tore her left meniscus, according to a source close to the player. She could miss anywhere between a month or the whole season depending on the severity of the injury.

The Aces waived two more players Tuesday. Forward Faustine Aifuwa, Las Vegas’ 2022 third-round pick, and guard Deja Winters, an undrafted free agent who spent her senior season with Minnesota, were both released as the roster continues to thin down in the first few days of training camp.

An NCAA champion with Baylor and the No. 7 overall pick during the 2019 WNBA draft, Brown’s professional career has been derailed by injuries before. After spending her rookie season with the Los Angeles Sparks, she was traded to the Atlanta Dream ahead of the 2020 season. Another knee injury limited Brown to 10 games, and she was waived early in 2021.

A strong season abroad in Turkey, coupled with an impressive performance at the Las Vegas-based Athletes Unlimited League during the offseason, earned Brown her opportunity with the Aces.

While she won’t suit up for the team anytime soon, Aces general manager Natalie Williams didn’t rule out the bringing the Baylor alum in later in the season if the Aces felt they needed her.

“For Kalani, we want her to get healthy and then come back strong,” Williams said.

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.