How Candace Parker's injury impacts the Las Vegas Aces' title hopes - ESPN

The Las Vegas Aces have been a nearly unstoppable force during the 2023 WNBA season, but their quest to become the league's first repeat champions in over 20 years hit a bump in the road this week when the team announced Candace Parker is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on a fracture in her left foot.

Parker, Las Vegas' prized free agent signee this past offseason, has played on the fracture all season but still averaged 23.6 minutes per game and did not appear obviously hampered by the injury. Compared to earlier stops in her career, the former two-time MVP hasn't been asked to carry an outsized load on the Aces — where she's playing alongside three fellow former No. 1 picks and one of the greatest point guards of all time.

But her contributions on both ends of the floor have helped elevate the reigning champs to new heights, teammates say. The Aces' starting lineup with Parker, which has played 239 total minutes together, boasts a plus-23.9 net rating; no other five-player lineup from another team even passes the plus-20.0 threshold.

Parker's absence will also test Las Vegas' depth, one of its few weak points across the past two seasons.

We take a look at what the injury might mean for the Aces' championship aspirations and for the remainder of Parker's career.

The good news: The Aces haven't had much of a problem in their games without Parker. Their current five-game win streak coincides with Parker's absence, and they've won each of those contests by at least 15 points. Center Kiah Stokes, who's starting in Parker's place, has plenty of experience alongside the Aces starters dating to last year's title run. In fact, that lineup with Stokes instead of Parker has played 128 minutes together this season and