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Las Vegas Aces Owner Drops Truth on Surprising WNBA Investigation

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated 5/24/24

Just recently, the WNBA said they’ll be investigating the Las Vegas Aces for entering into a $1.2 million deal with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and a certain provision that each player of the team will received $100,000 annual sponsorship for the 2024 and 205 seasons. In turn, team owner Mark Davis spoke out in defense of the said agreement.

The league will look into potential extra benefits alleged by Dearica Hamby, a former Aces player now with the Los Angeles Sparks after the team traded her there due to pregnancy. Meanwhile Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon clarified that the deal was initiated by the tourism bureau and it was not orchestrated by the Aces organization.

Although the sponsorship deal does not violate the league’s salary cap, other teams may question the fairness and possible violation of the cap rules. The league’s investigation will be done to delve into those concerns.

If allowed to continue, Las Vegas will enjoy an advantage in attracting free agents to sign up with the team. The $100,000 amount has even exceed the earnings of six Aces players and the rookies who just started their careers.

Las Vegas Aces Owner Mark Davis Speaks About WNBA Investigation On Alleged $1.2 Million Deal

With the investigation underway, Aces owner Mark Davis spoke up in defense of his team. In a post shared by Jonathan Jones on X:

“Aces owner Mark Davis tells @CBSSports his team did nothing wrong as the WNBA investigates the unprecedented $1.2M deal between the city and players,” Jones tweeted.

In the past, Las Vegas violated league rules about impermissible player benefits and workplace benefits. In turn, the WNBA punished the team by taking a draft pick away from them.

It remains to be seen what the investigation will yield and how the league will react to it. In any case, Davis will have to do a lot more explaining by then.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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