LAS VEGAS — Many people come to Las Vegas for work or for vacation. But for a WNBA player, coming to Las Vegas is like entering the gladiator dome.
Taking on the Las Vegas Aces is no easy feat, especially with a sold-out crowd. That atmosphere is familiar to center Kalani Brown from her time playing for Athletes Unlimited in Las Vegas in 2022.
“The Vegas fans showed up for Athletes Unlimited in its first year, which was huge,” Brown told The IX Sports on Wednesday. “They were kind of one of the biggest fanbases, which had [the arena] buzzing, so we got to experience them, and they were cheering for everybody. Some of them still know my name to this day, which feels really good.
“It’s hard to come and play in Vegas because of the energy the fans also feed into [the Aces], on top of their preparation, on top of how they play, on top of what they do on the court. The fans play a big part in that as well, especially during playoffs.”
The Aces picked up the 6’7 Brown on Aug. 29 after forward NaLyssa Smith suffered a season-ending leg injury. With six years of experience in the league, it made sense why the team signed her.
“I feel like she’s always kind of been destined to be an Ace,” head coach Becky Hammon told reporters on Wednesday. “So we’re happy that we were able to pick her up.”
Brown’s WNBA journey started in Los Angeles in 2019, where she got to know current Aces point guard Chelsea Gray. In 2020, she joined the Atlanta Dream, where she became familiar with forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. However, Brown suffered a knee injury that led to limited playing time in the playoffs, and she ended up getting waived early in the 2021 season.
Going into the 2022 season, she signed with the Aces. But she tore her meniscus during training camp and was waived. In 2023, she joined the Dallas Wings.
Brown then joined the Phoenix Mercury in 2025 and played three games in the playoffs to help them get to the WNBA Finals. The Mercury played the Aces in the first seven-game series in league history and got swept in four games.
Now, Brown is having a full-circle moment. Despite getting waived in 2022, Brown knew that she’d have the chance to play with the Aces one day.
“It was kind of big for me … coming here,” Brown said. “A lot of people were excited. I had a great season coming off Athletes Unlimited here in Vegas, and then I tore my meniscus, and that was unfortunate. They went [on] to win that championship, so it was a big heartbreak for me. Then our careers and time pulled us apart, but it feels like a full circular moment.”
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Despite the WNBA being on a break for the FIBA World Cup, Brown is already making her presence known. She and the other bigs on the team, including Parker-Tyus and Brianna Turner, have been working off the court to prepare for the last stretch before playoffs.
“She moves so well for her size,” Turner told The IX Sports on Wednesday. “She’s so tall. She has really great hands on offense [and] on defense. She’s really agile, too. She’s just a really dynamic player, and I’m really excited to be able to play with her because I’ve played against her.”
When the Aces resume play on Sept. 17 against the Seattle Storm, the Aces hope to pick up where they left off. They have a 27-13 record, going 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are currently third in the standings and will look to secure home-court advantage for the playoffs in their final four regular-season games. With Brown, all they need is for her to play how she normally plays.
“She’s a great player, and she deserves to be here,” Turner said. “She belongs here, so I just hope she plays her normal game.”
Brown has made an impact on every team she’s been on. Whether it shows up on the stat sheet or not, the little things are what the Aces and Hammon praise.
Despite her injuries, she has averaged 5.7 points per game over her WNBA career, along with 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.6 blocks and 0.2 steals per game. With the current, familiar leadership of this Aces squad, Brown’s excitement continues to rise.
“I’m back with some of my vets, besties — obviously, A’ja [Wilson],” Brown said. “I never played with her, but [she’s] always a great voice to hear around the league, always very supportive. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus in Atlanta and Chelsea now [and in] my rookie season in LA. I’m just excited to be here.”
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While Gray, Jackie Young, Mai Yamamoto and Stephanie Talbot are playing in the World Cup, the rest of the team is returning to practice and getting back into a routine. Plays are being taught and endurance is being built. The bigs are building their chemistry, one day at a time.
“[Brown is] highly skilled, so in that aspect, now it’s just learning our system,” Hammon said about the chemistry between Brown, Turner and Parker-Tyus. “But chemistry with pick-and-rolls, she knows how to play. So it’s not that huge of a learning curve. It’s just learning our plays at this point.”
