LAS VEGAS – As the WNBA nears the midway point of the season, teams are making roster moves in preparation for playoff pushes.
On Monday, the Las Vegas Aces acquired forward NaLyssa Smith in a trade, a move that required clearing roster space.
Within hours, the Aces waived rookie center Liz Kitley, a former standout at Virginia Tech. Kitley was selected in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft, but began her professional career rehabbing a torn ACL. She made her debut this season, appearing in 12 games and averaging 8 minutes per contest.
In a pregame press conference Sunday, head coach Becky Hammon said Liz was ‘getting better every time’.
“She’s a young player coming off a pretty serious ACL injury. So, just as much as anybody, whether you’re the first pick or wherever you are in the draft, or maybe you’re undrafted, there is a growth stage, with the size and athleticism of the WNBA. So, you know, I think posts sometimes take a little bit longer to develop.”
“She puts in her work. She was an incredible college player and, you know, she’s somebody who has a definite offensive skillset. And so right now, you know, learning the league, and especially defensively, learning and understanding angles and guarding space is something that she’s going to have to continue to learn to turn herself into a really great pro.”
Guard Tiffany Mitchell was also waived by Las Vegas following the trade.
Kitley’s next opportunity remains to be seen, but the former All-American is expected to draw interest from teams in need of depth at the post position.