How Jackie Young looks to lead Aces back in WNBA semifinals — SkimNews
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- Jackie Young played all 40 minutes of the Aces' first-round clincher over the Fever, but managed just 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting in Sunday's 71-60 Game 1 loss to the Valkyries, leaving Las Vegas down 1-0 heading into Wednesday's Game 2 (9:30 ET).
- Young averaged career highs this season — 18.9 points, 6.8 assists (third in the WNBA), 2.3 three-pointers per game and 92.8% free-throw shooting — after overhauling her shot mechanics and embracing a more aggressive mentality under Becky Hammon.
- Young is the first basketball player ever to win a high school state title, NCAA championship (Notre Dame, 2018), WNBA championship, 5-on-5 Olympic gold, 3x3 Olympic gold and FIBA World Cup gold, per a post on X by reporter Alexa Philippou.
- Former Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw told ESPN the biggest change in Young's pro game is her mindset: 'Now she's coming down and pulling up for the 3... I don't think she saw herself as, I'm the one. Now she sees herself more in that role.'
- The Aces are chasing a record-tying fourth WNBA title and have reached the semifinals in all eight seasons since drafting Young No. 1 in 2019; she has appeared in 286 of 292 regular-season games and all 59 playoff games in that span.
- Young turns 29 this month and will be a free agent for 2027, making this postseason a showcase for her next contract even as she insists her focus is solely on pushing Las Vegas past Golden State.
Why it matters: The Aces' bid for a record-tying fourth title hinges on Young rediscovering the career-high form she showed all regular season, because no other Las Vegas starter has matched her two-way reliability. A loss Wednesday would put the defending champions on the brink of elimination before a potential Game 3, while a strong bounce-back would reinforce Young's case as one of the most decorated and dependable players in WNBA history.
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