Las Vegas Aces president and general manager Nikki Fargas can breathe a sigh of relief as she looks ahead to the offseason.
With a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) now in place, the time frame for teams to make decisions will be much longer than it was a year ago, when CBA negotiations came down to the wire. This means Fargas and other decision-makers around the league will have much more opportunity for player evaluation.
“I think this offseason obviously is not just about how do we strengthen our roster [and] how do we get better, but it’s also about maintaining excellence,” Fargas told The IX Sports Friday afternoon. “And so with the additional time, the evaluation process is extended, as well as allowing your players and those who are contracted to come back.”
The Aces are looking to make offseason moves that will help them win another championship. After winning titles in 2022, 2023 and 2025, they were eliminated by the Golden State Valkyries in the 2026 semifinals.
Guard Jackie Young is an unrestricted free agent, meaning that she can sign with any team once free agency opens. But the Aces will look to re-sign her, as she’s been a critical part of their core, alongside reigning five-time MVP A’ja Wilson and star point guard Chelsea Gray.
“Jackie Young is one of one,” Fargas said. “She definitely has placed and etched her mark. … When we start to tell the story of winning championships, you have to talk about Jackie Young. So she will always be a priority for the Las Vegas Aces, and we hope to continue to compete for more championships with Jackie Young on the roster.”
Young is coming off of a career year in which she averaged 18.9 points per game. She scored a career-high 35 points against the Seattle Storm in September, including 22 points in the first quarter alone.
Young also averaged a career-high 6.8 assists per game, making passes similar to Gray’s. And she ended the season averaging 4.4 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.
“Jackie Young is one of the best two-way players in the game, and she’s someone who has been so instrumental to the overall success of our organization,” Fargas said. “She’s someone who obviously can play multiple positions. She’s commanding different defensive schemes. She’s a lockdown defender. She typically has that defensive assignment, while also asking her or putting her in a position to also be one of the best offensive threats on the floor. …
“She’s able to shoot the three-ball. She takes advantage of the defenders when there’s opportunities for her to create space. She does a really nice job of that. Then her midrange game is one that she can play through contact, and then obviously, her ability to get downhill.”
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Young isn’t the only big name in this year’s free agency class. Other major names include Kelsey Mitchell (who played the 2026 season with the Indiana Fever), Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Kayla Thornton (Golden State Valkyries) and former Aces guard Kelsey Plum (Phoenix Mercury).
In the past, the Aces have signed big names and they’ve become critical to the team. One of those players was Gray, who signed with the Aces in 2021. Another was Candace Parker, who signed for the 2023 season and helped the Aces win a championship before retiring in 2024.
“From a basketball perspective, [Collier and Mitchell] also bring star power,” Fargas said. “They bring offensive production. They bring defensive versatility. … These women have proven that they’re not only the best here in the [United] States, but you got some who have shown that they’re the best in the world.”
When evaluating what the Aces need this offseason, Fargas highlighted that they need to find the right pieces to complement their core. Last season, the bench averaged 21.5 points per game, which ranked eighth in the WNBA, but the team’s depth was inconsistent.
Throughout the season, Las Vegas heavily prioritized defense, including by signing defensive specialist Brianna Turner at the beginning of the season. And when forward NaLyssa Smith suffered a season-ending injury before the FIBA World Cup break, the team signed 6’7 center Kalani Brown to fill her role.
“I think we gotta always think about, ‘How can we complement what we have and who we have returning?’” Fargas said. “Obviously, the centerpiece is A’ja Wilson. So how do we complement her scoring, her defensive presence, having someone who can be a playmaker to create more space for her and for our guard play? …
“[Defensively,] we’re going to have to compete against the league’s best offensive players, and this league offensively has some really, really tough players that it becomes challenging to keep them in front of you.”
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The bench struggled in the postseason, with only three reserves scoring in the series against the Valkyries: Brown, forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and guard Dana Evans. Other players, like guard Mai Yamamoto, struggled to get points on the board but still made an impact.
Throughout the regular season, names floated in and out due to injuries and players getting waived. After guard Chennedy Carter was waived toward the beginning of the season, the Aces brought in guard/forward Justine Pissott from the Indiana Fever. They also signed Yamamoto soon afterward. Rookie forward Janiah Barker went down with injury and was ruled out for the rest of the season in mid-July.
Toward the end of the season, the Aces also brought in Ta’Niya Latson as a developmental player. In a key game against the New York Liberty on Aug. 9, Latson dropped 20 points coming off the bench.
This offseason, the Aces have eight players who will be unrestricted free agents. Alongside Young, Turner, Smith, Parker-Tyus, Yamamoto, Brown, starting forward Stephanie Talbot and reserve forward Kierstan Bell will all be able to sign with any team. In addition, Pissott will be a reserved player, meaning that if the Aces extend her a qualifying offer, she will only be able to negotiate with them. As a developmental player, Latson will also be eligible to receive a reserved qualifying offer.
With depth being an issue this year, the offseason will allow Fargas and head coach Becky Hammon to determine their requirements for the bench and who best meets those requirements. All cards are on the table for the Aces, and for Fargas, Hammon and the staff, it’s a matter of playing them right.
