Kiah

Stokes

Smith returned to the Aces lineup after sitting out Sunday’s win over Chicago. With Tuesday’s rematch being a blowout, she only logged 23 minutes and finished a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Megan Gustafson, who started on Sunday, only played three minutes while Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Kiah Stokes logged eight apiece. Depending on what Atlanta does in its game against Connecticut on Wednesday, the Aces will know whether they need to beat the Sparks on Thursday to secure the two seed for the playoffs. If Atlanta loses, Gustafson, Parker-Tyus and Stokes could handle most of the rotation minutes in Los Angeles.

Smith was held out of Sunday’s win over the Sky, with Megan Gustafson logging 17 minutes as her replacement in the starting lineup. While Smith is questionable for Tuesday’s rematch, she remains in concussion protocol, which is not good news regarding her availability. Gustafson may make another start if Smith sits, but this would also mean more playing time for Kiah Stokes off the bench.

Gustafson will make her first start of the season, replacing NaLyssa Smith (concussion) in the Aces’ opening lineup. Gustafson began the season sidelined with a leg injury, but returned in early July and has posted averages of 2.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks in the 17 games she’s appeared in. With her promotion to the starting unit on Sunday, Kiah Stokes figures to be a reserve player who could see more action as the Aces look to win their 14th straight game and reclaim the second spot in the WNBA standings.

The veteran center will miss her first game of the season on Sunday. After starting the first part of the season, Stokes has mostly come off the bench following the team’s trade for NaLyssa Smith. Her absence will leave the Aces’ frontcourt depth a bit thinner, and Megan Gustafson will likely play a big role off the bench vs. Dallas.

Stokes starts for the Aces in place of A’ja Wilson following the right wrist sprain she sustained on Tuesday night against the Liberty. Aces head coach Becky Hamon explained pregame on Thursday night that there’s no timeline for Wilson’s return. Stokes last started for the Aces on June 29 just a day before the team traded for power forward NaLyssa Smith. Also, expect center Megan Gustafson to get some extended run on Thursday night in her season debut coming off a lower left leg injury.

The Aces’ starting lineup will include Nalyssa Smith on Sunday for the first time all season. Smith joined the team via trade less than one week ago and will log her second game when facing Connecticut. Smith scored just four points in her debut with the Aces in the team’s blowout loss to the Fever on Thursday. She’ll replace veteran center Kiah Stokes in the starting unit.

With Teaira McCowan returning from EuroBasket and Li Yueru playing a meaningful role since she was traded to the Wings from the Storm, the Wings’ front court is crowded. Since the Aces are in win now mode, they find themselves in a situation where they need more offensive production alongside A’ja Wilson. In this trade Las Vegas gets a player who can produce a bit more on offense than the current big the Aces have playing next to Wilson in Kiah Stokes. Giving up a 2027 first-rounder for Smith, a player who is historically inconsistent defensively, is a questionable move. First-round draft picks are very valuable in the WNBA and with the Aces still sitting at the middle of the league’s standings, so that 2027 first rounder might yield a better player than the Aces think. For Dallas this is about acquiring an asset that could be used later in their rebuild around Paige Bueckers. With one less scorer to feed in the Dallas offense, Bueckers’ fantasy value should continue to go up.

Nye was clutch for the Aces, hitting shots when the team needed a lift. She spaced the floor incredibly well, especially when Kiah Stokes struggled more than she usually does offensively, turning the ball over twice in just nine minutes of play. Nye was her replacement and hit two straight 23-foot three pointers in the middle of the fourth quarter to trim a Mercury lead that was once five points to a single point. Nye also hauled down a key rebound with 9.4 seconds remaining in regulation after Sami Whitcomb missed a three that would have given the Mercury the lead. Aces coach Becky Hammon seems to trust Nye, who has now played 20 or more minutes in five straight games for Las Vegas, building a case to be streamed in fantasy.

Stokes is not relied on for scoring, and she went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in Sunday’s defeat. However, the veteran center cleaned the glass at a high level, recording a game- (and season-) high 14 rebounds. This was Stokes’ first game hitting double digits in rebounds, something she did on three occasions in 2024. Until A’ja Wilson returns from her concussion, Stokes is essentially a specialist for deep-league fantasy managers needing rebounds.

Elizabeth Kitley will log her first career WNBA start on Friday against Dallas as she replaces the injured A’ja Wilson (concussion) in the Aces’ starting unit. The production on both ends of the floor that Wilson, a three-time league MVP and one of the faces of the WNBA, brings cannot be replaced by any singular player on this Las Vegas roster. But between Kitley and Kiah Stokes, the Aces are hoping their production could be enough to earn a victory over a Wings team with just one win on the season. Kitley is averaging 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game during her rookie campaign.