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After securing the No. 4 seed, the Las Vegas Aces made an intriguing late-season signing on Monday. They added some more depth to their front court, as they signed former Indiana Fever center Queen Egbo to a seven-day contract, according to the Aces. The news comes after Egbo spent July and August with the Washington Mystics.
Between Indiana and Washington, Egbo averaged 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds over 37 games while connecting on 50.0 percent of her field goal attempts. The move comes as a bit of a surprise though. Chelsea Gray sustained a hip injury during the Aces 97-79 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday. Gray was down on the ground in pain after taking an offensive foul from the Mercury's Kahleah Copper.
Chelsea Gray left the game following this offensive foul by Kahleah Copper. pic.twitter.com/1l5gBtmuMh
— ESPN (@espn) September 1, 2024
Las Vegas could be without one of its stars for an unknown period of time. Regardless, there are still some areas for the Aces to clean up with Egbo on the squad.
What do the Aces need to fix?
Well, the Aces are the reigning champions for a reason. An MVP candidate in A'ja Wilson, along with star players Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum have chemistry unlike any other. Their head coach, Becky Hammon, the protégé of NBA head coach Gregg Popovich runs a flawless offense. Still, their star players do play hefty minutes. Plum and Wilson are in the top-five for most minutes played.
Even with Wilson's daunting rebound numbers, the Aces as a whole are about average in that category. They're only posting a seventh-best 34.6 rebounds per game. Mind you, Wilson alone is averaging 12 of those 34.6. While the rebounding mark isn't totally alarming, it's important to keep an eye on. The New York Liberty have the second-best mark in the WNBA, with 36.6 rebounds per game. They've proven to be one of the top competitors standing in the way of a third-straight championship trophy.
The Aces adding Egbo as a late-season signing can provide more depth at the center position. While backups Megan Gustafson and Kiah Stokes have been well, both have their own respective roles. Stokes is used as a shot blocker and defender, and Gustafson is a scoring threat. Egbo can provide strict rebounding and a solid paint presence as the Aces aim to close out the season riding good momentum.
