LAS VEGAS -- This week is destined to be a brutal one across the WNBA before the 2026 season officially tips off on Friday.
With teams needing to trim down the rosters to 12 players, plenty of talented players are going to slip through the cracks. Some will stick with their current teams on the new development contracts that were added thanks to the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, but plenty of others will be heading to new teams in short order. Also helping the waived players is the presence of the expansion teams in the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, meaning there are more landing spots they can look for.
Fortunately for the Las Vegas Aces, their decisions are a bit easier than the ones other teams have to make.
With the waiving of rookie guard Jordan Obi, the Aces are already at 12 players on their roster. The interesting part for them is the injuries to players like Dana Evans and Janiah Barker could lead to a couple of vacancies on their opening night roster, which gives the Aces an opportunity to get a closer look at players they might be interested in. Obviously, the Aces cannot scoop up everyone in sight but, looking at the cuts teams have already made, some players stand out as potential options for general manager Nikki Fargas to bring in as last-minute depth additions.
With that in mind, here are a few players looking for homes in the final week before the WNBA season that could find one in Las Vegas.
Tina Charles, Free Agent
Charles is looking for a championship ring to serve as the final piece to an unquestionable Hall of Fame career, and Las Vegas makes perfect sense as a team with championship aspirations.
Even at 37 years old, Charles continues to make an impact at the WNBA level, evidenced by a productive 2025 with the Connecticut Sun where she posted 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. More of an old-school big who performs best with the ball in her hands, Charles is not considered the most efficient player at this stage of her career, but the raw statistical output should be more than enough to warrant a 15th WNBA season, assuming she is up for it.
If she is willing to take on a role with reduced minutes, Las Vegas stands out as arguably the best option.
Reloading the depth in the frontcourt was a priority for the Aces this offseason, signing Brianna Turner and Stephanie Talbot as backups to A’ja Wilson and NaLyssa Smith. Charles could serve as a nice counterpoint to Turner, allowing Becky Hammon to create situational game plans in the event they need to get offense quickly. Charles and Wilson have already expressed admiration for the other’s skillset as well, so bringing the former in would earn a stamp of approval from the four-time MVP.
A similar decision paid off in 2023 with Candace Parker, and the Aces can pull off a similar low-risk, medium to high-reward addition in Charles.
UPDATE: It was announced on Tuesday that Charles has officially retired from the WNBA.
Miela Sowah, Golden State Valkyries
A two-time Women’s National Basketball League second-team honoree in Australia, Sowah has the makings of a diamond in the rough from the land down under.
She proved as much in her preseason stint with the Valkyries, especially in a 14-point outing against the Seattle Storm on April 26. Sowah showed impressive floor-spacing capabilities coming off the bench, but the Valkyries electing to waive her gives the Aces an opening to scoop her up.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is a disciple of Hammon’s, so the Aces head coach would know how Sowah would perform in a similar system. Hammon has openly mentioned how three-point shooting has been a problem during the preseason, and Sowah would provide an option alongside Jewell Loyd for shooters from beyond the arc. The Australian could get some run with the Aces early on, then either stick with the team or sign a developmental contract to keep her in the building.
The Aces have already gone after one Australian star in Talbot, so why not add another compatriot of hers?
Amy Okonkwo, Dallas Wings
The Aces witnessed what Okonkwo can bring to the table in their final preseason game, so bringing her in the fold in some capacity could be a prudent move.
After years of international success, Okonkwo received her chance in the WNBA after signing a seven-day hardship contract with the Wings. She put up an impressive eight-game audition, posting 11 points and three rebounds per game.
Adding the likes of Talbot and Chennedy Carter show that the Aces are always eyeing talent with some degree of experience at all of the highest levels, not just the WNBA. Okonkwo stands out as one of the best options in that regard, as the two time FIBA AfroBasket MVP has impressed for her representative country of Nigeria and in the WNBA.
The Aces have already put an emphasis on the frontcourt this offseason, so adding another piece to the puzzle would make sense.
Grace Berger, Dallas Wings
Having as much talent as the Wings do means some good players were always going to be available, and Berger represents a gamble similar to Carter.
The seventh overall pick in 2023, Berger has already bounced around the league with four teams in her three-year WNBA career. While she has never reached the offensive heights of her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, Berger seemed to settle more into a role with the Wings as a playmaking guard who serves better as a distributor on the floor. It allowed her to reach career highs with 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, giving her a chance to revitalize her career.
Berger would be of interest to the Aces depending on the severity of Evans’s injury, and the need for a playmaker on the second unit would increase if she has to miss a significant chunk of time. If she signs, Berger would open up opportunities for Carter and Loyd to do more on the offensive side of the ball, easing the pressure on them to do everything on the floor while giving them clear shot opportunities. Any offensive contributions that she can chip in would only be icing on the cake.
Carter was a former top-ten pick still searching for her place in the WNBA, and the Aces could easily decide to take a similar flier on Berger.
Hailey Van Lith, Chicago Sky
It would be remiss to not include Van Lith in this list, as many teams have already reached out to her after she was waived by the Sky.
The 11th overall pick by the Sky in 2025, Van Lith struggled to get acclimated in her rookie season with only 3.5 points per game. Despite showing improvement in the preseason, Van Lith was waived in favor of the Sky signing veteran guard Natasha Cloud, with the team citing a “style of play preference” for their decision.
Chicago’s loss can certainly be the Aces’ gain if they make a convincing enough pitch for her. While her shooting has to be better for her to stick at the WNBA level, Van Lith has the first-round and college star pedigree to warrant another look, especially since Sky head coach Tyler Marsh is another disciple of Hammon. Whether it’s on a developmental contract or serving as depth on the bench, Van Lith represents a gamble on talent that could turn into something tangible on a team with a much clearer direction.
Las Vegas will be hard pressed to sway Van Lith away from other teams, but they can at least throw their hat in the ring and see what comes out of it.