Former South Carolina player Alaina Coates signs with new WNBA team

It will be a Gamecock basketball reunion in Last Vegas.

Former University of South Carolina standout Alaina Coates signed with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces on a seven-day contract Wednesday. The move reunites her with former Gamecock teammate A’ja Wilson, who was named the WNBA Player of the Month on Wednesday.

The Aces are the top team in the WNBA and are 24-2 on the season.

Coates and Wilson were teammates for three seasons at USC and were part of the Gamecocks’ national championship team in 2017.

This will be Coates’ sixth different WNBA team. She signed with the Phoenix Mercury in June as an emergency hardship addition and appeared in two games.

Coates was the No. 2 overall pick by the Chicago Sky in the 2017 WNBA Draft and appeared in 83 games with Chicago, Minnesota, Atlanta and then Indiana last season. She signed with Atlanta during 2023 training camp before being released.

Coates played overseas and spent time with the Galatasaray S.K. basketball team in Turkey last season before helping coach at her alma mater Dutch Fork in the winter.

Gamecocks in WNBA

A look at how former South Carolina players are faring in the WNBA this year.

Laeticia Amihere, Atlanta Dream: Has played in 14 games and is averaging 3.2 points per game.

Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever: The 2023 No. 1 draft pick is averaging 14.1 points and .9 rebounds per game. She was selected to start in the WNBA All-Star game. She leads the league, shooting 58.9 percent from the field.

Alaina Coates, Las Vegas Aces: Signed on Wednesday with he Las Vegas Aces.

Zia Cooke, Los Angeles Sparks: First-round pick in this year’s draft is averaging 4.1 points in 25 games this season.

Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream: The 2017 first-round pick is averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season.

Ty Harris, Connecticut Sun: Former first-round pick is averaging 5 points and 1.5 assists per game. Harris had a season-high 17 points on Tuesday.

Destanni Henderson, Los Angeles Sparks: Signed as a medical hardship and averaged 5 points a game in 10 she played this year.

Tiffany Mitchell, Minnesota Lynx: Former 2016 first-round pick is averaging 8.5 points and 2.5 rebounds.

Victaria Saxton, Indiana Fever: Third-round pick in this year’s draft has appeared in nine games this year.

A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces: Two-time WNBA MVP is averaging 20.5 points,9.5 rebounds and league-best 2.3 blocks per game She was one of the captains for this year’s WNBA All-Star game.