Las Vegas ascended to the 5-2 favorite to claim the WNBA crown after acquiring 6-foot-8-inch center Liz Cambage, last season’s MVP runner-up, from Dallas.
Aces
The 27-year-old center worked with a variety of lineup combinations, but mostly teamed with projected starters A’ja Wilson, Kayla McBride, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young.
Center Liz Cambage is expected to practice with the Aces on Tuesday and the team opens its season Sunday against Los Angeles at Mandalay Bay Events Center.
The 21-year-old from Notre Dame and the top overall pick in the WNBA draft had 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting in her first professional game, a 79-75 exhibition loss to Minnesota at Cox Pavilion on Sunday.
The game offers Las Vegas coach Bill Laimbeer a chance to evaluate his team against another team. The Aces are carrying 15 players, three over the regular-season limit.
Las Vegas completed a trade for the All-Star center from the Dallas Wings on Thursday that could alter the entire complexion of the WNBA’s elite.
The 6-foot-8-inch Australian averaged a league-high 23.0 points and 9.7 rebounds, second in the league, last season. She’s considered the WNBA’s best post player.
Sydney Colson was ready to end her pro basketball career and pursue another passion — acting. But then Aces coach Bill Laimbeer called and invited her to training camp.
The WNBA last year saw average attendance figures dip below 7,400 per game for the first time in its 22-year history. The Aces ranked ninth by averaging 5,208 and hope to improve on that number in their second season.
The Aces have re-engaged the Dallas Wings in trade talks centered around center Liz Cambage but no deal is imminent, according to a person familiar with the details of negotiations.
Park, a 6-foot-6-inch center, has expanded her skill set — and English vocabulary — and is ready for additional responsibility in her second season.
Center Ruth Hamblin and guard Dominique Wilson signed training camp deals during the offseason and were competing for final spots on the Aces’ roster.
The 6-foot-6-inch center has had to navigate through a series of minor injuries and major self-doubts that compromised her confidence and career.
The former North Carolina State standout played two years professionally in Europe and received the first WNBA training camp invitation of her career in April from the Aces.
The 5-foot-10-inch guard joined the Aces at training camp Wednesday after winning EuroLeague and Russian Premier League titles with her club team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.
