The 2024 WNBA Draft is now less than a week away, and with the women’s college basketball season officially over and the mock draft’s running rampant, let’s take time to highlight four key candidates that could be rocking Las Vegas Aces threads come May.
The Aces are without a first-round pick this spring after dealing their pick to the Atlanta Dream, leaving them with three second-round picks and one third-round pick:
- Round 2, Pick No. 16
- Round 2, Pick No. 18
- Round 2, Pick No. 24
- Round 3, Pick No. 36
It can be difficult to think of ways to make back-to-back champions even better, but here are four incoming rooks that can handle the job.
Elizabeth Kitley
Virginia Tech’s Liz Kitley would be a perfect scenario for the Aces if she is able to stick around on the board, which might happen due to the ACL injury she suffered at the end of the college season. Kitley nearly averaged a double-double in each of her five seasons for the Hokies, with her best play being this season, averaging 22.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, leading the squad to an impressive 26-7 record on the season.
The height, scoring and rebounding ability would all greatly complement this Aces squad, as Kitley would be the tallest player on the roster and give the Aces the option of either starting her next to A’ja Wilson or using her as a bench big with the ability to provide center minutes with the second unit or run staggered lineups throughout games.
Alissa Pili
This might be wishful thinking… and although recent mocks have her going in the first round, Alissa Pili immediately would be a Swiss Army knife for this Aces squad if she slid down the board on draft night, as she can do pretty much everything on the court while effectively spacing the floor. Pili, standing at 6-foot-2, is coming off of her final season at Utah, where she averaged 21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists while nailing 40.4 percent of her 3-point attempts on the season. Her skillset would create a lot of flexibility in Vegas, as you add a body that can crash the boards, play down low and also effectively nail the 3-point shot off kick-out passes, creating nightmares for opposing defenses. Pili would open up a lot of flexibility for Vegas and create for some very interesting lineup opportunities.
Jessika Carter
Jessika Carter was insanely good this season and got better every single season during her five-year tenure at Mississippi State. Carter averaged 14.9 points, 9.9 boards and 1.1 blocks per game this season for the Bulldogs and was even selected to participate in this year’s Women’s All-Star College All-Star Game. She would provide excellent post offense and post defense off the rip for the Aces and could fill some valuable minutes at the center position for the squad next year. She would fit perfectly within this Aces system.
Kiki Jefferson
Although the Aces are loaded with guard depth, I think Kiki Jefferson has the keys to playing big minutes in the league as a rookie. Jefferson comes into the draft after playing five seasons for Louisville, and despite going into a small slump compared to last season, she still has tremendous potential at the league level. She’s not only a solid scorer across the floor who averaged 12.3 points per game, but also a strong rebounder for her size with 4.5 boards per game. Those skills, in addition to the height to be flexible between the guard and small forward spots, make her a good pick for any team in second-round range. If she had declared for the draft last season, I definitely think we would have seen her as a first-round pick and if the Aces have an opportunity to get her in the mid-second round, I think it’s a steal.