‘It’s soon:’ Aces forward sticking to return goal after giving birth

Four words have been a constant presence on every Aces injury report this season: “Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (pregnancy).”

The veteran forward’s status shifted from “OUT” to “NOT WITH TEAM” as she grew closer to her late June due date, but she made sure to tune in to every game.

“I’m ambitious. I’m competitive. I’ve been watching my team,” Parker-Tyus said in an interview with the Las Review-Journal on Wednesday. “I want to be there for them.”

It’s been three weeks since the 32-year-old gave birth to her second child, a healthy baby boy named Yoshua. Parker-Tyus said she still wants to make her debut for the Aces in time for the WNBA playoffs, which begin Sept. 14.

“It’s soon,” she acknowledged as she elaborated on her plan. “(The Aces) are not pressuring me into that at all, and I appreciate that. But it kind of keeps my mentality focused on just getting back and getting in shape.”

The former Atlanta Dream player averaged 15.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in her 2023 All-Star season. She signed with the Aces in February, having just played a full season of overseas basketball in China while pregnant.

Parker-Tyus was with the Aces from the start of training camp in April until early June, when she left the sidelines in Las Vegas and returned to Georgia to give birth.

She has a house in Atlanta and said she’ll stay there until she returns to her Las Vegas apartment in the first week of August to join the Aces to continue her training.

Playing for it

Parker-Tyus is one of the reasons team president Nikki Fargas said she believes the Aces (12-11) have enough personnel to reach their championship goals this season.

“We’re looking forward to when that time comes for her to join us,” Fargas said. “(She) is an All-Star, another dominant post player. It’s going to change how we look on the floor.”

For Parker-Tyus to make that impact alongside three-time MVP A’ja Wilson, she’ll have to get past her husband, Keevin Tyus, on the court first.

The former basketball player and current personal trainer doesn’t want Parker-Tyus sacrificing her health to rush back and play. To reach a common ground, Parker-Tyus said the couple made a marital bet to play one-on-one before she attempts to get cleared for a return.

“If I’m not ready to do it, or I do the one-on-one and he whups my ass, then cool. I need more time,” Parker-Tyus said. “But if I hold it down like I’m pretty sure I will, then he has to trust me and let me ease back in.”

Parker-Tyus also believes she’s gotten to know Aces coach Becky Hammon well enough to have confidence that she’ll reintegrate her properly.

“Becky’s not gonna just throw me in the fire,” Parker-Tyus said. “She’s gonna ease me back in, too.”

‘Never ideal’

Parker-Tyus’ Instagram stories offer a reminder that she focused on her fitness for the entire nine months she was pregnant. She had visible abs at just five days postpartum. She credits the feat to playing competitive hoops during her first trimester, walking and even briefly sprinting as her due date approached and prioritizing low-impact exercises since giving birth.

But that doesn’t mean it’s been easy for the working mom.

“Postpartum is never ideal for anyone,” she said. “One thing I’m really thankful for this time around is that I was able to have him naturally.”

Parker-Tyus gave birth to her daughter, Naomi, via cesarean section in 2021 and returned the following WNBA season. This time, the fear of having another major surgery with an extended recovery timeline brought her “a lot of anxiety,” she said.

Although her stress was quelled when she birthed Yoshua in a successful “VBAC” (vaginal birth after cesarean), she noted that the pain afterward has still been “very real” but outweighed by the joy of her family’s new addition.

“It was just a really big sigh of relief,” she said. “And he’s finally here and healthy. So it’s been just a mix of emotions.”

Parker-Tyus has already started walking for exercise again and shooting the ball without jumping under her husband’s watch. She’s done that while keeping in touch with multiple members of the Aces’ training staff, including lead rehab specialist Jerrica Thomas.

“Basically I have one more week until we’re going to start doing some small strengthening stuff, and obviously I can start doing a little more on the court,” she said. “It just feels good to be in the gym and touch a basketball without my belly.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.