The Las Vegas Aces have been a nearly unstoppable force during the 2023 WNBA season, but their quest to become the league’s first repeat champion in over 20 years hit a bump in the road this week when the team announced Candace Parker is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on a fracture in her left foot.
Parker, Las Vegas’ prized free agent signee this past offseason, has played on the fracture all season but still averaged 23.6 minutes per game and did not appear obviously hampered by the injury. Compared to earlier stints in her career, the former two-time MVP hasn’t been asked to carry an outsized load on the Aces — where she’s playing alongside three fellow former No. 1 picks and one of the greatest point guards of all time.
But her contributions on both ends of the floor have helped elevate the reigning champs to new heights, teammates say. The Aces’ starting lineup with Parker, which has played 239 total minutes together, boasts a plus-23.9 net rating; no other…
