LAS VEGAS — With 1:50 left in the third quarter against the Dallas Wings, the Las Vegas Aces were up 63-57. The Aces had the ball, and forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus was prepared for the ball. The second she got under the hoop, she attempted to shoot the ball. It was blocked, but she caught the rebound, and got the put-back.
When the score went up to 65-57, the arena erupted in cheers as the team made their way down the court. Public address announcer Chet Buchanan attempted to speak over the roar of her crowd. As the Aces set up their defensive scheme, Buchanan announced her name over the speakers: “Cheyenne Parker-Tyus!”
Throughout the course of the season, Aces head coach Becky Hammon has emphasized the importance of defense, and how if defense works, offense will come their way. With the re-signing of Parker-Tyus, that idea has paid off.
Parker-Tyus made her return to the league from maternity leave last season against the Chicago Sky. When she entered the court for the second-to-last home game of the season, she was immediately greeted with a standing ovation.
Despite only having eight minutes on the court that day, she managed to get 8 points. In her first game back from maternity leave, this was a huge deal. Every basket she scored was met with applause and loud cheers.
It was a proper “welcome back to the league” from not only the fans, but the Aces as well. By the end of the season, she was crowned a champion. Alongside her Aces squad, they defeated the Phoenix Mercury in game four of the seven-game Finals. At the time, she was still learning the system.
The Aces are 18 games into the 2026 season, with a 13-5 record. So far, Parker-Tyus has played 14 games. Hammon has consistently re-iterated that when she’s seeking offensive playmaking, Parker-Tyus is put in the game. When she seeks defensive playmaking, Brianna Turner is put in the game.
“Those nights, I just wanted a little bit more on defense, so I go with Breezy [Turner],” Hammon told reporters after their win against Dallas. “On nights that I feel like we need a little bit more offense, it’s been Cheyenne.”
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In Tuesday’s loss to the New York Liberty, Parker-Tyus played a critical role on the offensive end. Not only did she have 14 points, she had six rebounds and a steal. Despite the team coming up short, Parker-Tyus brought a spark of energy that helped the Aces attempt a comeback.
“She just works so hard every day,” Jackie Young told reporters after their loss to the Liberty. “I mean, she’s putting in extra work to get back to who she was, so, yeah, I’m really proud of her. She puts in work before practice, after practice, and at the same time, she is still learning our system and it’s clicking for her. She came in ready to score, and she was great for us today.”
Despite getting limited minutes, Parker-Tyus has been making the most of it and getting back into regular season form. So far, she’s averaged 4.8 points this season, along with 2.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.3 steals.
Against the Dallas Wings on Thursday, she managed 13 points, two rebounds, three assists and a block. It was the Aces’ first win against the Wings this season, defeating them 99-84. In total, the bench made up 31 of 99 points for Las Vegas, with Parker-Tyus leading the way.
“She’s resilient, she’s doing the little things, she’s someone that we can rely on on both ends of the basketball, someone that you have to defend and you have to play and guard her,” A’ja Wilson told reporters after their win against the Wings. “I’m so happy that she’s thriving in this role that she has for us, because we need her. We don’t need her to go out here and score 20, even though I’m sure she can, but she’s doing the little things that go a long, long way.”
Off the court, Parker-Tyus has embraced the role of being the “team mom”. Coming from experience as a real mother and recently returning from maternity leave, that role has been fairly easy for her to fill.
“I’ve been a mom, so it’s easy to embrace,” Parker-Tyus told The IX Basketball. “I feel like I’m easy to talk to, easy going. So, anytime my teammates need like a shoulder to lean on, cry on, laugh on, I’m here.”
Even though Parker-Tyus is not totally recovered, she’s putting in the work and her dedication is evident. Whether it’s on the road or at home, she finds a balance of both motherhood and athleticism.
“First of all, she’s a great mom,” Chelsea Gray told reporters after the Aces’ win against the Wings. “Sometimes she’s taking both kids on the road, she’s taking the baby on the road, and she’s still so locked in and here for whatever we need, and every moment. It could be five minutes, it could be 17 minutes, like tonight is fluctuating, and so that’s a great sign of a really great vet that’s been around this league, and has been sustainable.”
”There’s moments of up and down when you have kids, it’s just what it is. There’s not always just one day, it’s never the same, the next day is never the same. And so with basketball, sometimes it’s like that as well, but she stays pretty steady.”
Parker-Tyus may not be in peak form yet, but her past accomplishments are a potential sign for greater things to come for Las Vegas. In 2018, she came second for the Sixth Player of the Year award while playing for Chicago. She averaged 10 points per game, along with 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks that year. In 2023, with Atlanta, Parker-Tyus made the All-Star game while averaging 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
“Getting that kind of production from our bench is huge,” Hammon told reporters after their win against the Wings. “It just, it takes a load off of our starting five, you know. And Cheyenne, I mean, a couple years ago she was an All-Star, so we know what she’s capable of.”
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Hammon knew that Parker-Tyus would be a key player when they re-signed her in the off-season. Over the last home-stretch, Parker-Tyus has proven to the league why Hammon trusts her on both ends of the ball.
“I think the best thing about Cheyenne, first of all, is just the person that she is,” Hammon told reporters after their win against the Wings. “She’s gotten some DNPs, that’s not easy when you’re that caliber of a player … She’s been making some impactful plays defensively, which is what I’m really looking for more than offense.”
As the Aces head to Chicago to take on the Sky, Parker-Tyus continues her journey of returning to peak performance form. She has shown she’s on the path, and this quick road trip gives her more chances to show off her skill.
“It’s been quite a journey, obviously I’m not fully 100%, but it’s been really fun just seeing what a woman’s body could do and how hard it can go, and how far it can be pushed,” Parker-Tyus told The IX Basketball. “I pushed myself to limits that I just didn’t even know were possible. It was an awakening type of experience for me, just realizing how powerful women are.”
