It's safe to say Jackie Young is in a bit of a moment. The 28-year-old guard, who struggled during Game 1 of the WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury, has since risen to meet the moment — and her timing could not be more perfect as the Aces head into Game 3, the first hosted in Arizona.
Young didn't merely bounce back for the Aces during Game 2. No, Young put in a performance that was literally historic when she and A'ja Wilson combined for 60 points (putting them second in terms of the most combined points in a WNBA Finals match, just after Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd, who combined for 65 points in 2020). She also hit 21 of her 32 points in the third quarter, a feat that is as impressive as it seems.
Their two wins will mean the Aces head into tonight's match against the Mercury with a bit of a mental advantage, but the team has been through the Finals experience before and Becky Hammon knows that presuming any kind of victory at this point would be unwise and potentially even derail their journey. There is little doubt Young will be expected to help carry Las Vegas toward what would be their most redemptive Championship trophy to date — and little doubt that she's entirely prepared to do so.
It was Young, a 4-time WNBA All-Star, who hit the winning shot during the Aces' first round match against the Seattle Storm, and Young who averaged 25 points and 7 assists as the team faced the Indiana Fever in a scrappy round of games during round two. Young has played so well during the playoffs that even the Mercury are unable to find anything wrong with her game. As Kahleah Copper told reporters, "When you're able to get 30 and then go guard the other team's best player, that's amazing."
Young's career in the W has always been strong, but she's somehow found a way to play on a completely level throughout this playoffs run — a level that clearly inspires her teammates, who have coalesced around her on the floor, and a level that has to concern the Mercury, who are also chasing their own Championship glory.
Perhaps the most promising part of Young's ascension right now is that it proves the young guard, who was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick by the Aces in the 2019 WNBA Draft, still has plenty more to do in the league — and it will be thrilling to watch her as she accomplishes everything she's capable of.
Game 3 of the Finals will begin at 5pm PST.