Trade acquisitions paying off for Aces during 10-game win streak

It’s been a month since Aces president Nikki Fargas said the team “had enough” to achieve its WNBA championship goal.

That statement came under immense scrutiny as the Aces opted not to fill an empty roster spot while other teams made changes before the trade deadline.

But amid a 10-game win streak, the longest the league has seen since 2021, trade acquisitions Dana Evans and NaLyssa Smith are helping to prove Fargas right.

Evans was dealt to the Aces from the Chicago Sky as an offseason move in February, while Smith was traded from the Dallas Wings on June 30.

They were two of the Aces’ top performers in a win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday.

Aggressive Evans

A potential sixth player of the year candidate, Evans has averaged 19 points over the last two games as the Aces’ leading bench scorer. She recorded a season high 21 points in a win over the Washington Mystics on Saturday.

Following that victory, coach Becky Hammon emphasized how important Evans will be if the Aces hope to pursue a deep playoff run.

For Evans, Hammon’s praise was evidence of just how much things have changed in a year.

Evans was pulled out of the starting lineup after the first 12 games of her fourth and final season with the Sky, and requested a trade before the midway point of the campaign as her minutes and role fluctuated.

The 5-foot-6-inch Louisville alum was averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 assists as Chicago’s starting point guard, and she implied during the peak of her discontent with the Sky that she didn’t fit because of her scoring.

“Other point guards throughout this league can average 15-plus points, and it’s never a discussion,” Evans told the Chicago Sun-Times in July. “Because I’m small, it’s a problem that I can score the ball.”

A month later, Evans took to social media to say that she would finish the season with the Sky despite her previous trade request.

She’s now found a groove with the Aces after missing all of the preseason with a knee injury she sustained overseas.

“I’ve always been counted out because of my height,” an emotional Evans said Saturday. “But I always say God doesn’t make mistakes. We went through that losing streak or whatever, that bump in the road, and we were able to bounce back. I went through things. Had to go through adversity. I kept my faith. … Last year was a rough year. … We’re here for a reason, and I’m just going to keep building off of this.”

Smith thriving

Smith’s arrival in Las Vegas marked her second time being traded in the calendar year.

She was the Fever’s first-round pick in the 2022 WNBA draft out of Baylor, but was discontent with her utilization in 2024 like Evans.

Smith averaged 15.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game in 2023, but saw her productivity reduced to 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game last year.

She was traded from the Fever to the Wings in the offseason and landed with the Aces after 18 games. Smith quickly took veteran center Kiah Stokes’ role in the Aces’ starting lineup and has stayed put, averaging 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

“We just felt like we needed to make a change there,” Hammon said Thursday. “(Smith) adds another element to us offensively, that we were missing: a little toughness down there. She’s done a lot of little things to help us win, whether that’s tipping balls, getting on the offensive glass. … That’s huge. It takes a lot of pressure off those other players.”

Hammon said Saturday that Smith has only participated in two full practices due to the Aces’ condensed schedule.

It hasn’t been an issue for Smith, who also never had to worry about the outside noise surrounding the 2027 first-round pick the Aces gave up for her.

“I feel like when you’re surrounded by great players, it elevates you to want to be great. The locker room and the coaches, they always are just pushing you to be your best self, day in and day out. So, I think that’s the biggest difference. When I came here, they already believed in me,” Smith said. “I feel like when you have people pulling for you, it’s easy to go out there and just do your thing.”

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