‘Underdog’ mentality: Aces’ draft picks ready to fight for roster spots

The Aces introduced their new draftees, guards Aaliyah Nye of Alabama and Harmoni Turner of Harvard, in a virtual news conference Wednesday.

After entering Monday’s WNBA draft in search of versatile talent to fit coach Becky Hammon’s positionless system, Aces president Nikki Fargas detailed how the No. 13 and 35 picks fit that description.

“When you look at Aaliyah Nye, her sharpshooting and defensive tenacity is very attractive to us at this next level,” Fargas said. “And then (with) Harmoni Turner, her ability to get downhill and play multiple positions on the perimeter — the versatility of both of their games. We’re just extremely excited to have them coming into training camp. We can’t wait to see their growth, and we can’t wait for them to arrive here in Las Vegas.”

When training camp begins April 27, the draftees will certainly need to showcase those attributes as they battle for one of the Aces’ 12 roster spots. Nye and Turner were quick to illustrate their readiness for the challenge in their comments Wednesday.

Aces stars A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and new addition Jewell Loyd highlight the team’s six protected (guaranteed) contracts.

Nye and Turner fall into the group of six unprotected salaries on the Aces’ books. The team also signed four players to training camp contracts, which are also unprotected and won’t count against the salary cap unless the players remain on the team when the season begins.

In short, the odds are stacked against the draftees, which they described as a familiar position.

“I’ve always been overlooked and the underdog, and that has kind of fueled me throughout my entire (life) and that kind of stuck with me always,” Turner said when asked how she developed a work ethic that would attract the Aces’ attention.

‘Never highly recruited’

Nye cited a similar background for developing her mindset.

“I was never highly recruited. I wasn’t a top recruit, McDonald’s All-American or those things. But I do pride myself on working hard and being consistent,” she said. “I haven’t always been the most talented or the most highly recruited person, but I think the more you work at something, and the more you get better at something, your confidence rises, and then you just play better as a person.”

In footage the Aces shared to social media, Hammon spoke to Nye on the phone after she was drafted with the No. 13 pick.

“Girl, we love your game. You’ve been on our list for a long time now,” Hammon told her.

On Wednesday, Nye mentioned just how much it meant to hear those words.

“It makes me feel great, and it does give me confidence (to know) that they have been watching me for a while, and not just for a couple of weeks,” she said. “I know it’s not solidified yet and there’s work to do. … I’m just happy to be here.”

‘The Hoop Nerd’

While Nye gleaned some reassurance from her draft night call with the Aces, Turner famously missed hers due to being inundated with countless congratulations as she celebrated at her own watch party.

“Honestly, I thought that I was potentially not going to be drafted,” Turner said. “And out of all the days, I was like, ‘This would be the day that my phone does not want to function correctly.’ But it was such an eventful moment, and I have so much gratitude … but definitely not satisfied.”

When asked about how the draftees will approach balancing learning from the Aces’ veterans and competing with them, Nye said Turner, who is aptly nicknamed “The Hoop Nerd,” had the perfect answer.

“Just going in there with a fearless mentality, going in there with a dog mentality,” Turner said. “(The Aces’ veterans) are all dogs, and the list goes on. Soaking it in, being a sponge, learning from the best — I feel like that’s the best way you can elevate. And being a student of the game, I feel like that’s something that is very important going into this training camp as well.”

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