Cheyenne Parker-Tyus played in her first WNBA game of the season Tuesday, a 92-61 Las Vegas Aces beatdown of the Chicago Sky. Parker-Tyus’ minutes came nearly a year after her last WNBA showing, and only two months after the birth of her second child.

In eight minutes, Parker-Tyus posted 8 points. The crowd roared each time for the 33-year-old playing her first game in an Aces uniform.

Parker-Tyus’ quick return was motivated by the Aces’ “transparency and honesty” throughout her signing process, she said on a recent episode of The Athletic’s “No Offseason.” She signed a one-year deal in February after informing the Aces of her pregnancy.

“When I did tell them, they were honest that they still did want me and they would do their best to make it work,” Parker-Tyus said. “But at the end of the day, this is a business. It wasn’t easy to get that transaction done because being on the roster means I’m available, but I’m not available because I’m pregnant.”

“It also is a part of my motivation to want to get back and play for them and play with them because you know, it’s not an easy thing. It’s not an easy conversation. It’s not an easy decision to make when making your team and building a team. And even throughout the season, I could have easily gotten traded … I appreciate the loyalty. I appreciate the trust.”

Parker-Tyus’ return to the basketball court took more than drills in a gym and extra cardio minutes, especially with the ongoing trial and error of an ever-changing schedule. Parker-Tyus said she will pump or nurse her newborn son, Yoshua, in between workout sessions or play-study sessions. She’ll wake up early to pump and ensure Yoshua, who eats every two hours, has milk while she is at the gym. After practice, she said she will “race home” to either pump again or feed Yoshua.

Parker-Tyus also pumped during halftime of the Aces-Sky game, Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said afterward.

“It wasn’t just the work that she put in after delivery,” Hammon said. “She was working her body the whole time up to delivery. Like it is not easy to get out there. It’s remarkable for her to be out there right now, like almost miraculous.”

Parker-Tyus also has a 3-year-old daughter, Naomi, and said she prioritizes time with her, whether it’s doing makeup or making slime.

“Just doing stuff, being hands-on, trying to make sure that I’m spending as much time as I can with both my babies while also grinding and making sure that I’m doing everything I can to get back in shape as well,” Parker-Tyus said.

Parker-Tyus said she’s still not in her true game shape, having played only eight minutes this year, but she’s on her way. The goal of her return ahead of the WNBA playoffs, which start Sunday, is that, “if they need me, they’ll have me as an option,” she said.

The Sky selected Parker-Tyus with the fifth pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft. She spent six seasons in Chicago and the next four with the Atlanta Dream before landing in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in a limited 25 games last season because of an ankle injury she suffered in August. It marked her first season posting a single-digit scoring average since 2019.

Parker-Tyus’ lone All-Star recognition came with the Dream in 2023, when she averaged 15 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 40 games.

When asked after the game Tuesday what she was proud of, Parker-Tyus said, “Just being a mom.” She echoed the same sentiment on the “No Offseason” podcast.

“I would say this time around the biggest thing that I would probably portray to the public is just like being a professional athlete should not affect or stop a player from wanting to compete,” she said. “I think that it’s been a stigma for so long that, once you have a baby, you’re done for.

“Physically, I feel better than I did last year at this time. And that’s just to say that having a baby doesn’t end all. It actually enhances, in a way.

“It just brings like another level of strength and another level of motivation because now I have two little ones that I want to show, Mommy has the strength and the power to do anything I set my mind to.”