Just days ago, Becky Hammon praised Harmoni Turner with a smile—“She’s easy to be around, she plays hard,” she told Taylor Rooks. But May 8 hit different. As the Las Vegas Aces trimmed their roster, Turner—once a Harvard standout and fan-favorite-in-the-making, was shown the door. No drama, no headlines… just business.

But behind every cut is a contract, and behind every waived rookie is a story. So what did Turner sign for—and why didn’t it buy her more time? Let’s break down the numbers and the reason behind her waiver from the WNBA bubble.

What was Harmoni Turner’s contract with the Las Vegas Aces?

Turner was the Aces’ third-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft—34th overall—after torching Ivy League defenses at Harvard, where she lit it up with 18.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. By her senior year, she was a dual threat, shooting 43% from the field and nearly 36% from deep—numbers that screamed pro-ready.

The Aces saw the spark. And they didn’t hesitate.

Harmoni Turner inked a 3-year, $204,253 contract with Las Vegas—an average salary of $68,084. Modest by WNBA standards, but promising for a third-rounder. For a moment, it looked like Turner was headed for a Cinderella chapter with the former defending champs.

After being crowned the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year—an award named after her new head coach—it felt almost poetic. Hammon knew talent when she saw it. “She’s like a ray of sunshine in any room she walks into,” she told Taylor Rocha after Day 1 of camp. “Her vibe, her energy—it’s real.”

But energy isn’t always enough in a league where even second-round picks fight for minutes.

What was Turner’s salary for the 2025 WNBA season?

According to Spotrac, Turner would have earned a base salary of $66,079 in 2025. Had she remained with the Aces, her earnings would’ve risen to $67,401 in 2026 and $70,773 in 2027, totaling $204,253 over three years. However, the Harvard grad’s contract was unprotected at signing and is now null and void following her release from the team.

Why was Harmoni Turner waived by the Las Vegas Aces?

On May 8, the Instagram account WNBA Got Game reported: “Harmoni Turner and Queen Egbo have been released from the Las Vegas Aces 😞.” The news came as rosters across the league were being trimmed to the required 11–12 players before the regular season — a tough but expected part of training camp.

Unfortunately for Turner, her limited preseason minutes didn’t help her case. In the Aces’ preseason opener — a dominant 112–78 win over the Dallas Wings — she saw just 6 minutes of action. 

Her next chance came against the Phoenix Mercury, where the Aces scraped by with a narrow 85–84 win. Turner logged 12 minutes but struggled to make an impact. She shot 2-of-6 from the field, missed both her three-point attempts, and added just 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 1 turnover.

Meanwhile, her competitors for a roster spot were turning heads. Deja Kelly lit it up with 9 points in just 7 minutes against Dallas, shooting an impressive 4-of-5. Aaliyah Nye, another rookie guard, exploded for 17 points in 22 minutes, going 6-of-11 from the field and 5-of-8 from deep.

Kelly continued her hot streak in the Mercury game, dropping 15 points in 13 minutes, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor, and adding 2 assists. Although Nye had a quieter game the second time around, her standout performance against Dallas likely secured her spot.

In the end, it wasn’t just that Turner underperformed — it was that others outshone her. With the Aces’ roster already stacked and competition fierce, she simply didn’t have enough time to prove she belonged.