The Las Vegas Aces are set to run it back with the core group that helped them win the WNBA championship last year — the franchise's third in four seasons.
The Aces have agreed to deals with Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Jewell Loyd is finalizing a deal, according to a different person familiar with the situation.
All three people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because
they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the signings until the deals become official. None of the deals can be signed until Saturday.
The trio are free agents, along with four-time league MVP A'ja Wilson, who has said she planned on returning to the Aces.
ESPN was the first to report the deals.
Gray and Young have been there for the entire run of success by the Aces since they won their first championship in 2022. Gray, who has won four titles in her career — including one in Los Angeles — averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds for the Aces last year while playing in all 44 regular-season games. She was limited to 27 games a year earlier because of injuries.
Young averaged 16.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds for the Aces last season. Las Vegas selected her with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft.
Loyd was acquired in a trade from Seattle before last season and was a key part of Las Vegas' championship run. She averaged 11.2 points and came off the bench for the first time in her career. She helped Seattle win titles in 2018 and 2020. The six-time All-Star led the league in scoring in 2023.
This has been a busy offseason since the league and the players' union signed a transformational labor deal that saw average salaries rise nearly fourfold. Players can earn over $1 million annually for the first time in league history, which is more than four times the previous maximum salary. More than 80% of players in the league are free agents.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
