Las Vegas (February 10, 2020)— Las Vegas Aces General Manager Dan Padover announced today that the Aces signed five-time WNBA All-Star and free agent guard Angel McCoughtry (mc-CAW-tree).
McCoughtry has spent the entirety of her professional career in Atlanta since the Dream made her the number one overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. The Baltimore, Maryland native led the Dream to eight postseason appearances, including trips to the WNBA Finals in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
“Viva Las Vegas, baby!” McCoughtry exclaimed before jumping on a plane to Russia, where she plays during the WNBA offseason for Dynamo Kursk. “I am truly honored for the opportunity to continue my career and make my return to the WNBA with the Las Vegas Aces. I can’t wait to get to know the fans and the community, and bond with my new teammates. It is truly a blessing to continue playing the game that I love and to help make history in this amazing organization.”
“Angel was a primary target for us during free agency” explained Aces Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations Bill Laimbeer. “She is an elite level scorer who loves to attack the basket, and is also one of the best defenders in the league. When she steps on the court, we immediately become a stronger team on both ends of the floor out on the perimeter.
“Angel knows the kind of culture we are building here with our core group, and her addition moves us another step closer to our goal of bringing a championship to the city of Las Vegas.”
McCoughtry paced the league in scoring in 2012 and 2013, is a six-time All-WNBA honoree, and a seven-time WNBA All-Defensive Team selection.
The Louisville grad is the fifth most prolific scorer in league history, averaging 19.1 points per game throughout her career, and her 2.09 steals per game are the second most in WNBA history. She also has career averages of 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, and is one of only two players in league history to average 20 or more points for four straight seasons (Diana Taurasi).
The Aces now have four former number one overall picks on their roster in McCoughtry, Kelsey Plum (2017), A’ja Wilson (2018) and Jackie Young (2019), matching the 2012 Seattle Storm who boasted a lineup that included Tina Thompson (1997), Ann Wauters (2000), Lauren Jackson (2001), and Sue Bird (2002).
Center Liz Cambage was the number two overall selection in 2011, and guard Kayla McBride was the third overall pick in 2014.
Last season, Las Vegas advanced to the WNBA semifinals before falling to the eventual league champion Washington Mystics. It was the franchise’s first postseason appearance since 2014, as the Aces improved from 8 to 14 to 21 wins over the last two years.