Get to know Team USA and WNBA star Jackie Young
Nicknamed the 'Silent Assassin', Jackie Young is one of the WNBA’s quieter players. She speaks briefly in press conferences, and stands on the sidelines during some of the off-the-court antics of her teammates on the Las Vegas Aces. One notable moment came last season, when her teammates cheered and chanted her name during pre-game while in her home state of Indiana, and Young shook her head the whole time.
On the court, though? Young’s play is far from quiet. She’s scored at least 20 points in every one of the Aces games this season, and averaged 17.6 points per game last season as Las Vegas became the first team in more than 20 years to win back-to-back WNBA championships.
This season, Young stepped up her assist game, averaging 8.3 per game so far. The core of the Aces have been together since 2021. They know each other well, and Young has been able to use that to put her teammates in position to score.
She also had a moment during the Aces loss to the Mercury on Tuesday (21 May) that showed she’s not going to be quiet on the floor. Young was defending Phoenix’s Sophie Cunningham, and tried to poke the ball out of Cunningham’s hands as the Phoenix guard brought the ball up the court. A foul was called on Young, and the two exchanged tense words. Teammates had to get between them.
After the game, Young didn’t really want to get into the emotions of the moment.
“It's really an honor to be able to step out on the floor every night and play the game that I love,” Young said after the game. “Emotions get high sometimes but I just try to go out there, have fun and compete.”
Jackie Young's last-minute Olympic gold
Young was on the first team to win an Olympic gold medal in women’s 3x3 basketball. She was not originally named to the roster, but when Katie Lou Samuelson tested positive for COVID, Young was asked to quickly join for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
She showed her adaptability in quickly meshing with the three other members of her team. They won gold with an 18-15 win over the Russian Olympic Committee in 3x3 basketball’s first Olympics.
"It’s crazy to think about,” Young said at the time. “Ten days ago, I was on vacation. My life changed like that. Now I’m a gold medalist. It’s crazy how things work out."
Now, she’s in the pool of players trying to make the U.S. five-on-five women’s team, and was a key part of the U.S. team that won the Belgium Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February. In the meantime, you can catch Young playing with the Las Vegas Aces, who will face the Indiana Fever on Saturday (25 May.)