DJ Cabanlong- The Sporting Tribune
Las Vegas Aces forward Aaliyah Nye (13) smiles while speaking to the media during the Aces’ media day, Thursday May 8, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Las Vegas Aces
LAS VEGAS — Aces rookie Aaliyah Nye’s work ethic and dedication couldn’t have been defined any better upon returning from Alabama, as she finalized her move to Las Vegas after a road game in Seattle.
Aces coach Becky Hammon excused her from the first practice of the week, but Nye literally stepped off the plane, drove straight to the team’s facility and walked onto the court to get some shots up.
“I hate missing practice,” Nye said. “I know Becky allowed me to miss practice, but I just hate not being here. And I think that’s just something that my high school coach and even college coaches instilled in me. If I can make something, or if I can do something, or work on something – I have time.
“You have 24 hours in a day, so you can always make time for something. And I knew I could get rest once I got back. I had the whole day to rest, and I just didn’t want to feel like I missed anything.”
It’s the attitude Hammon was looking for when she made Nye the 13th overall draft pick.
Nye’s never let her coach down.
Like Friday night with the Dallas Wings and No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers in town, and reigning MVP A’ja Wilson sidelined with a head injury and in concussion protocol.
With the Aces trailing by one, Nye pushed through traffic to redirect a loose ball she didn’t get credited with a rebound for, but navigated to Chelsea Gray, who found Jewell Loyd in the corner for the go-ahead bucket.
But beyond the stat sheet that saw her score just five points, Nye was invaluable with four rebounds, she was deflecting balls and disrupting Dallas’ scheme and most of all, she led the game in the +/- department with a plus-18 and was a big part of Las Vegas’ come-from-behind 88-84 win.
“It goes to show there’s multiple ways to impact a game,” Hammon said. “She’s a competitor, I love that kid.”
Neither pressure nor adversity rattles Nye, who’s become used to overcoming obstacles for quite some time.
UPS AND DOWNS
“She just has this confidence about her game, to be in the moment, you never really see her get too rushed or intimidated,” Loyd said. “I don’t know what makes her rattle, but you can tell that she’s very mature about her direction, on the court and off the court.”
It’s a brand of maturity that stems from the diligence she steps with, and implements in every walk of life.
Nye’s senior season in high school was interrupted by COVID, yet she was still the runner-up for the 2020 Michigan Miss Basketball and was named the Associated Press Division 1 Player of the Year.
After playing two seasons at Illinois, coach Nancy Fahey – whom Nye went to Champaign to play for – announced her retirement in 2022. Needing to find someone else to trust her career with, Nye transferred to Alabama to play for Kristy Curry and learned a new system while blending in with new teammates.
The move paid off as Nye quickly became one of the most lethal 3-point shooters in the SEC while raising her stock along the way. During her senior season (2023–24) she led the SEC while ranking third nationally in 3-point field goals made. In finishing her career with 1,739 points, Nye became Alabama’s career leader in 3-pointers made (293) while helping lead the Crimson Tide to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
Then came the WNBA Draft, where there was no guarantee Nye would be drafted, and even when she was, there was then no assurance she would make the roster.
Enter, once again, her work ethic.
“In life, there’s always going to be ups and downs, and something that I’ve always told myself is just be consistent in the moment,” Nye said. “God always has a plan for you. So no matter what happens in life, I just try to be consistent, keep a steady headspace, and just adjust to what life throws at me.
“I can control what I can control, and that’s just coming in with a good attitude no matter what, and just working hard. Working hard can ultimately trump the adversity. So, just being consistent and then doing what I do.”
Exactly what is that?
Nye is one of those players who puts her head down, works her tail off and does what’s asked of her. She loves the game so much that she automatically turns work into fun, regardless of the situation, which is why she had no problem going straight to the facility after landing on the tarmac, even if it was to just work on her jump shot.
“I saw the work that she put in,” former Alabama teammate and current Los Angeles Spark Sarah Ashlee Barker said. “She was always working hard, and it wasn’t just practice. She was doing the things outside of practice, the things that’s not required. She was always coming in to get extra shots up. She was always going to be working her butt off in practice. You were never going to question her work ethic and how much effort she was going to give to the game.
“She knows she’s a great shooter, and to be a great shooter, you’ve got to have that confidence – and she has that confidence. But it’s also because of how much work she puts into it as well … and I know she’s gonna continue to do it. She’s gonna be in the league for a long time because her work ethic, and she’s also a great person. You know that not only is she gonna work hard, she’s just gonna be a great teammate.”
FROM DAY ONE
Nye, as her Aces teammates say, is special.
And they knew it when camp opened in late April.
“The first day of camp, she had this quiet confidence about her,” Loyd said. “I think she ended up hitting like three 3s in a row. Usually, rookies got a way, they don’t assimilate really well, or they’re timid and shy trying to figure out everything. She didn’t have that. She kind of had this reassurance that she should be here. And she was always just feisty from the start, and tenacious. She was always there. She was always present. You always kind of felt her presence when she’s on the court.”
Said veteran Kiah Stokes: “Day 1 at training camp, she was all eyes, all ears, just ready to learn, ready to absorb the knowledge. And then her work ethic is crazy in a good way. You saw her in the first preseason game, came in, knocked out every single shot, and she just had that no fear, great instincts. Very fortunate that she made the team, and we’re lucky to have her.”
Hammon is certainly bought in, showing confidence in making her the first reserve into the game several times. After making it a point to say her team needed “more juice” and that she couldn’t teach effort, Hammon followed up a few days later by saying Nye had earned every minute and would continue to be a part of a system that certainly needs a jolt after a 5-4 start to the season.
“She has stick-to-itiveness,” Hammon said. “She has a resiliency to her game. That’s how she made this team. She doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Quick learner. And she sure as heck ain’t making the same mistake twice. I don’t know if I’ve seen her do that in a month. So, all those things, and obviously her shooting, helped me gain confidence in putting her out in those situations.”
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