Cheyenne Parker-Tyus has been activated by the Las Vegas Aces, just two months after giving birth, strengthening the 2023 champions ahead of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
The Aces confirmed Monday that Parker-Tyus had been moved to the active roster and is eligible for Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Sky, a move that finalizes a comeback that few professional athletes attempt within such a short time after childbirth.
The 33-year-old now enters her 11th season in the WNBA after she built her reputation across two organizations – the Sky, where she began her career, and the Atlanta Dream, where she reached her peak production.
Her 2023 season in Atlanta was her best, earning her a first career All-Star appearance as she averaged 15.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, both career highs. Then in 2024, she remained a steady contributor with 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per contest.
Across her career, Parker-Tyus has maintained averages of 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds, showing versatility as a forward able to defend multiple positions – something that can be vital for navigating playoff basketball.
That ultimately meant she played a central role in helping the Sky qualify for the 2020 postseason and has consistently been regarded as a dependable two-way player.
Her return this week comes after she missed the entirety of the 2025 regular season while on maternity leave, finally giving birth on July 1 to her second child, a son named Yoshua, who is now a younger brother to their daughter Naomi.
Later on July 15, she publicly shared news of Yoshua’s birth on Instagram, where fans responded with widespread congratulations and support. But now this moment also represents the long-awaited debut of Parker-Tyus in a Aces uniform.
She signed with Las Vegas during the 2024 offseason, with both sides aware she would miss significant time due to her pregnancy. The Aces, however, viewed her as a strategic addition for their championship pursuit, anticipating that her postseason availability would matter more than her absence during the regular season.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus Aces debut: Could she play vs. Sky?
The timing of her return coincides with Las Vegas reaching peak form as the Aces have won 14 straight games, the longest winning streak in franchise history. They are closing in on the No. 2 seed in the playoff standings.
That position would grant them home-court advantage in the early postseason rounds, an edge that could prove critical – especially if they want to defeat the 33-9 Minnesota Lynx, who they are now five games behind but cannot catch.
Next up for the Aces is a clash with the 10-32 Chicago Sky on Tuesday, September 9 at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada. The game tips off at 22:00 ET/19:00 PT and could see Parker-Tyus make her Aces debut in the 2025 WNBA season.
After that, the team closes out its regular season with a match against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, September 11, as they look to remain in second seed ahead of the Phoenix Mercury.
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