Some Aces players now getting paid by LVCVA for sponsorship deal

Some Aces players have begun to get paid as part of a sponsorship agreement with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill said Thursday.

Just over half of the Aces’ roster is receiving monthly payments tied to $100,000 sponsorships for each player paid for by the tourism agency, Hill said. He did not name which of the 12 players are getting paid as part of the deal that he announced May 17.

The remaining players who have yet to sign the sponsorship agreement are working with the LVCVA to finalize the process, Hill said. The delay in signing has nothing to do with the WNBA investigating the sponsorship, he added.

“They’re busy, they’ve got a season to play, their agents are busy, we’ve gone back and forth with documents,” Hill said. “So it’s just part of the process.”

The WNBA has given no update to the LVCVA regarding the investigation, but Hill said it wouldn’t delay the process. The LVCVA has discussed with the players who have signed what their sponsorship deals entail.

“We’re not waiting for the league; we’re just moving forward,” Hill said. “We’ve got a relationship with the NBA, and we’ve got a great relationship with the WNBA, so if they want to communicate with us, that’s fine. But they don’t have jurisdiction over us, and our sponsorship deal with the players, we think is the completely appropriate thing to do.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.