{"id":14918,"date":"2022-04-10T11:07:02","date_gmt":"2022-04-10T11:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nbanewsinsider.com\/2022-wnba-draft-preview-the-las-vegas-aces-present-the-best-opportunity-for-new-draftees\/"},"modified":"2022-04-10T11:07:03","modified_gmt":"2022-04-10T11:07:03","slug":"2022-wnba-draft-preview-the-las-vegas-aces-present-the-best-opportunity-for-new-draftees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nbanewsinsider.com\/2022-wnba-draft-preview-the-las-vegas-aces-present-the-best-opportunity-for-new-draftees\/","title":{"rendered":"2022 WNBA Draft preview: The Las Vegas Aces present the best opportunity for new draftees"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Las Vegas rehauled their front office this offseason, bringing in Becky Hammon as head coach and Natalie Williams as general manager to replace Bill Laimbeer and Dan Padover, respectively. They also lost veterans Liz Cambage and Angel McCoughtry in free agency. <\/p>\n
Those are dramatic changes for a team that finished with the second-best record in the league last year and held a double-digit lead with 11 minutes to play in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals, but Las Vegas never been content with anything but the best, especially under new owner Mark Davis. That\u2019s why Davis broke the bank to hire Hammon and build a dedicated practice facility for the Aces, a rarity among WNBA franchises. <\/p>\n
In more ways than one, this would be a great team to be drafted to. Las Vegas only has four players on protected contracts and two other players making more than the minimum. Add in Jackie Young on the final year of her rookie contract, and the Aces are truly committed to just seven players heading into training camp. If ever there were a place for a first-year draftee to make an immediate impact \u2014 and on a team with championship aspirations \u2014 Las Vegas is it. <\/p>\n
The Aces own all of their own picks in the 2022 WNBA Draft, nothing more, nothing less, so their best chance at finding an impact contributor will come in the first round. The question is: does Las Vegas want to play A\u2019ja Wilson at power forward or center? <\/p>\n
If Wilson is a center, then Dearica Hamby is the only potential power forward on the roster, and the Aces need to shore up that position. Naz Hillmon has been mocked in this range, and both ESPN and Just Women\u2019s Sports have Las Vegas selecting the Michigan big. Hillmon would provide rebounding and paint scoring for the Aces, but she is undersized defensively and would also push Wilson away from the basket due to her lack of shooting range. <\/p>\n
The problem is that the other forward-sized players in the first round are all projected to go earlier, including Emily Engstler and Nyara Sabally \u2014 Engstler, in particular, would be an outstanding fit on this roster given her ability to impact a game without scoring. In the second round, Las Vegas could target Olivia Nelson-Ododa or Mya Hollingshed. Both of those players can operate further away from the basket, Nelson-Ododa due to her passing ability and Hollingshed with her shooting. Lorela Cubaj could also help the team defensively. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n