When an opportunity presents itself for W draftees, there’s no guarantee that another will appear. In her first outing with the Las Vegas Aces, the lights weren’t too bright for rookie wing Aaliyah Nye when her time came. She shined under them, finishing as the team’s third-leading scorer with 17 points in the Friday night preseason win over the Dallas Wings.
The former Crimson Tide sharpshooter led all scorers in threes, shooting 5-for-8 from deep and 6-for-12 from the field overall. She also tallied three stocks with unmatched intensity on both sides of the floor, going hand in hand.
“Not surprised at all,” said Aces coach Becky Hammon on Nye’s performance. “She can shoot. It’s why we went and got her. That’s what she did in college. Again, it’s about getting people that fit a need for us. I think it’s very apparent that I like shooting because it gives space to these other players that can get downhill. The other thing about her is that she just doesn’t make a lot of mistakes defensively. She’s super solid defensively. She did a great job defensively. Even just her presence; having that threat out there creates space for other people.”
Las Vegas lost six of its best three-point shooters through free agency, the expansion draft, and injury. Las Vegas did gain Loyd, who has averaged nearly 36 percent from deep over the last eight seasons of her career, and traded two second-round picks for WNBA champion Dana Evans. As far as depth, there isn’t much in this department.
It’s understandable to think of Nye’s showing as a sole preseason game, but her work when the cameras aren’t around has matched the performance when they are.
“She’s been doing it all training camp, Hammon continued. “One of the best shooters I’ve ever seen.”
Hammon made the fourth-most threes (829) in W history in her Hall of Fame career. She’s been one of the best and played against fellow legends in the same regard, so the level of praise is hard to miss.
On draft night, Nye wasn’t shy about what she plans to bring to the Aces.
“I’m just excited to space the floor for A’ja [Wilson] and get her more looks. I think with my ability to shoot, people have to guard me, and I think I space the floor really well. Even if I’m not getting the shots, I’m just excited to help my teammates.”
In college, Nye could nail a three-pointer on the move, in catch-and-shoot situations, and was comfortable passing up a good shot to relocate for a better one. These three skills took center stage in her first outing in the WNBA.
For her first bucket as a professional, Nye sidesteps the defender and swishes home a two-pointer with her foot on the line.
In the second quarter, Nye drilled a three with Wings rookie JJ Quinerly in her back pocket. The speed of closeouts is significantly faster than the college ranks, but at 6’0”, Nye has no issue getting her shot off with a defender in her face.
As a rookie looking to win a final roster spot, there’s arguably no greater ability than being available to the ball on offense. Nye did so with ease on Friday night.
Eyeing A’ja Wilson probing towards the rim, Crystal Bradford screens for Nye, freeing the rookie wing for her second corner three of the game.
The best shooters are always as active off the ball as they are on it. Nye fits the mold perfectly. What’s most dangerous about her skill set is how she spaces the floor and navigates screens effortlessly on the hunt for her shot.
It’s only one preseason game, but it was clear all night that Nye has the trust and support of her teammates.
Before the ball left her hands, a few on the sidelines stood in unison, followed by the rest once it landed in the net.
When Harmoni Turner snags the offensive rebound, Nye connects on another three from the same spot as her previous one.
Is it a heat check if you have the range?
Nearly touching the Notre Dame logo, Nye collected her fifth and final three-pointer in the game. A healthy portion of her shots were met with a high contest rate, but that didn’t seem to matter in what was an electrifying performance. Nye couldn’t have performed better for a team that will need every ounce of her talents off the bench.
Making the Cut
The WNBA is the toughest professional sports league in the world to make and stay in, especially for recent draftees. Since most teams don’t field the maximum 12 players to retain cap flexibility in anticipation of injuries down the stretch, active roster spots will fluctuate between 132 and 143 this year with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries.
In just under three weeks between training camp and 15 preseason games before the start of the 2025 season, rookies have a short window to prove they belong amongst the world’s best talents and earn a roster spot. With teams inviting at least 18 players to training camp, the harsh reality is that most draftees won’t reach the opening day roster.
Some front offices have different philosophies when it comes to drafting talent. While some search for the best available, others have the chance to do that and address a deficiency. For the Las Vegas Aces, acquiring the No. 13 overall pick in the Loyd trade and selecting Aaliyah Nye answered both.
In three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Nye led the SEC in three-point percentage twice. In her junior year, she finished fifth in three-point field goals made (74). In her final season, the sharpshooter placed first (111), outpacing second place by 28. She set the single-season program record for made threes each of the past two seasons.
On defense, Nye’s 6’0” frame and considerable length wreak havoc on the ball and away from it, especially in passing lanes before they materialize. Her speed and dribbling ability in transition will trouble defenders who already have to cover four All-WNBA superstars at any stretch.
The impact she will have surrounded by accomplished veterans was on full display, especially on defense.
After Wings forward NaLyssa Smith bobbles the lob from Myshia Hines-Allen, the ball was nearly in Nye’s pocket for the steal.
After getting through Nye’s denial, Wings rookie JJ Quinerly exploded on one dribble to the rim as the ball met Nye’s right hand for a block.
Quinerly is one of the fastest players taken in last month’s draft. Nye couldn’t stay in front of her, but she recovered nicely.
For her second takeaway of the night, Nye pried the ball away from Kaila Charles and immediately started the break.
As a rookie filling a need, Nye couldn’t have done so more fittingly in her first slice of action for the Aces.