Chennedy Carter is rewriting the Aces’ bench math

Chennedy Carter’s start with the Las Vegas Aces has already moved past the surprise stage, and now it looks like a problem the rest of the WNBA has to solve.

Carter scored 20 points off the bench in Sunday’s 85-84 win over the Atlanta Dream, giving Las Vegas another jolt in a game that nearly got away in the fourth quarter. She shot 7-for-13 from the field, 1-for-2 from 3-point range and 5-for-5 at the line while adding three assists and two rebounds.

Through five games, Carter has scored 97 points, the most by a player coming off the bench through the first five games of a WNBA season. Her scoring run has included 10 points against Phoenix, 22 at Los Angeles, 27 at Connecticut, 18 in the second Connecticut game and 20 at Atlanta.

That is not normal bench production. That is sixth-starter production.

Gray sees the problem up close

The Aces already had A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd. Carter has given them something different: instant downhill pressure, a first step that changes the floor and a scorer who does not need much structure to find points.

Chelsea Gray said after Sunday’s win that Carter’s speed makes life easier for everyone around her.

“I’m glad she’s on our team,” Gray said. “She gets in the paint with ease. And so that’s really, really nice to see. We just let her work and get in there and make the right read.”

Gray also pointed to the part of Carter’s game that does not show up as loudly in the scoring column. Carter is picking up full court, forcing opponents to start their offense later and still learning the Aces’ terminology while getting buckets.

Hammon wants the defense, too

Becky Hammon has noticed the scoring, but she keeps coming back to the same standard.

“She’s a bucket,” Hammon said. “Putting her in those positions and letting her go to work. I don’t give her a lot of structure offensively. She knows mostly I’m on her for the defense. I want that defensive pressure.”

Hammon said Carter’s added 3-point shot makes her even harder to guard if she hits one or two from deep. For now, the Aces are letting Carter be herself on offense while continuing to coach her up defensively.

A gamer wants the moment

There is still another layer. Carter said after the Atlanta game that she wanted to help close in the fourth quarter if possible, and she also said she was “a little bit disappointed,” even after the win.

That did not read like trouble. It read like a gamer wanting the ball and the moment.

Hammon said Carter did nothing wrong, but the Aces closed with a bigger defensive lineup. She also said she did not believe Carter’s disappointment came from not being in the game late.

Still, that is the new question Carter’s start has created. She is not just trying to earn minutes anymore. She is making it harder to take her off the floor.