Players clap back after WNBA announces investigation into Las Vegas Aces sponsorship deal

Per ESPN, the WNBA has begun an investigation of the Las Vegas Aces after every player on the roster received a $100,000 check through a sponsorship deal. The deal is the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. It would sponsor every player on a two-year contract.

This is now the second year in a row that the Aces are under investigation.

The authority stated that the deals were negotiated directly with each player’s agents, bypassing the team to avoid violating the WNBA's salary cap rules. According to the authority, the team was unaware of the arrangement.

The league did not specify why it is investigating the Aces, but it likely could be tied to whether the deal actually violates the salary cap, despite the sponsorship being similar to a name, imagine and likeness (NIL) deal for a college athlete. The WNBA salary cap is $1.4 million, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority deal totals $1.2 million for the team.

Not only were Aces players surprised by the announcement of the investigation, but players across the league were as well. Players and coaches took to social media to express their reactions.

Aces players react to WNBA investigation

A'ja Wilson had only found out about the investigation after a game against the LA Sparks. Wilson was asked about it by the media after the game.

“When we’re talking about growing the game … taking that next step, it can’t always be ‘investigate, investigate, investigate,’” Wilson said Saturday. “It has to be like, ‘We’re trying to move the needle. We’re trying to make things better for franchises, for players, for teams.’” Wilson said.

She also took it to Twitter:

Chelsea Gray took her disbelief to Twitter as well:

Alysha Clark also addressed the situation, but more specifically targeting WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, "Can we investigate Cathy in her decisions on who is allowed to charter and who isn't?" on her Twitter account, which she later deleted from her page.

Head coach Becky Hammon also was asked about the deal in which she stated that the organization had nothing to do with it.

“I’m going to put it to you real simple like this: Most of sponsorship people go after the top two people,” Hammon said, referring to Wilson and Kelsey Plum. “In this situation, from what I understand, they wanted the whole team. … I don’t know the details. I have nothing to do with it; the Aces don’t have anything to do with it. It’s just odd, but that’s basically what happened.”