Gaming out Las Vegas, and the knock-on effects.

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The buzz out of the Liz Cambage situation remains unchanged. The Las Vegas Aces want her, she’s only approved a deal to Los Angeles, and Dallas doesn’t want to settle. Will that change? It’s possible, of course, but for now holding onto Cambage’s final year of WNBA pre-free agency seems like a valuable enough thing that the Wings might not blink, while Cambage has a demonstrated willingness to leave the WNBA for years at a time.

What does this have to do with the draft? Everything!

If Las Vegas cannot get Cambage, they won’t need to figure out how to build around her. It’s far from tragic for Bill Laimbeer, who has a ton returning between A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, Moriah Jefferson and Kayla McBride, and can choose instead from the best talent in a deep draft.

Multiple WNBA talent evaluators believe that if given the chance, absent an early entry from Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon, Bill Laimbeer would go big, and choose Teaira McCowan. We’re elevating her based on this, even as we note a personal objection to blocking A’ja Wilson, five of the future. But the WNBA Draft Big Board is about projecting, not objecting.

So what else have we heard?

TO THE BIG BOARD WE GO!