After receiving a pass from Jackie Young, Aaliyah Nye steadied the ball. From just beyond the three-point arc, she took a shot and made it into the hoop. Golden State’s lead was cut from four to just one. The Aces bench lit up with excitement, as the Valkyries fans fell silent. Aces fans in the arena jumped and yelled with joy as the rookie cut the lead and changed the tempo of the game.

Despite the ultimate 95-68 loss against the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday, players on the Las Vegas Aces are showing improvement — especially rookie Aaliyah Nye.

Nye had a personal best against the Valkyries, scoring 13 points in 26 minutes in the game. Those 13 were the most points in a game in her regular season career, and they come shortly after scoring 17 points in a pre-season match against the Dallas Wings.

Nye was picked by the Aces in the second round of the 2025 WNBA draft, going 13th overall. She was the first pick the Aces made in the draft, and the only rookie from the 2025 draft left on the roster.

In her time at the University of Alabama, Nye was a sharp shooter. In her three seasons, she tallied 1,260 points of her career total, which was 1,739. She made a total of 31 blocks in her three seasons in Tuscaloosa, along with 136 steals. Rebound-wise, Nye made 238 in total at Alabama, and 120 at the University of Illinois, where she spent the earlier years of her college career.

When Nye was drafted, Aces head coach Becky Hammon praised her for her professionalism at the collegiate level. And Hammon was accurate in her praise — from day one of training camp, Nye showed up to the Aces headquarters ready to perform

“I’ve been liking the way she’s been able to put the ball on the court,” Hammon said about Nye before the Aces’ game against the Los Angeles Sparks. “You have to close out hard. If you don’t close out hard, she’s going, she’s going to shoot it, and she’s got a quick trigger.”

Against the Dallas Wings in that preseason game, Nye tallied up 17 points, as well as two rebounds, two assists, and a block. She was continuing to prove her case.

Adjusting takes time, however. Nye’s first three games contained minimal results. She scored only seven points and notched one assist in the Aces’ early-season loss to the Seattle Storm. Around the same time, when her team played the Washington Mystics, Nye ended up with just one rebound and one steal.

But in the Aces’ second game against Seattle, Nye’s competitiveness improved drastically. Within 11 minutes, Nye already had 10 points and one rebound. She ultimately helped the Aces secure their first win this season in a Commissioner’s Cup game, an intra-conference tournament.

When Nye was asked about playing successfully with teammates Dana Evans and Tiffany Mitchell after their win against Seattle, she credited the positive performance to decisions made by Hammon. “I think Becky just having confidence in us,” Nye explained as a reason for her team’s success. “Each game, we just want to get better as we play together. I think we’re getting more comfortable.”

Nye’s game is showing improvement, game by game. And under the leadership and guidance of mainstays A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray, as well as head coach Hammon, her game will only improve.

”I’ve been saying, you know, she’s been a pro since she stepped foot in Las Vegas,” Hammon said.