When Kelsey Plum left the Aces for the Sparks, questions immediately arose: who would step up as the second scoring option alongside reigning MVP A’ja Wilson? Early frustrations were obvious, as Wilson carried the load while the Aces slipped below .500 midway through the season. Fast forward to now, and the two-time champions are just two wins away from a third title, and none of this would have been possible without Jackie Young rising to the occasion.

Jackie Young has been on fire this postseason, scoring 206 points so far, averaging 20.6 points per game. Her standout performance came in the Game 5 overtime win against the Fever, where she poured in 32 points, dished out 10 assists, and committed zero turnovers while logging a career-high 44 minutes. Alongside A’ja Wilson, Young became part of the first duo in WNBA playoff history to each score at least 30 points in a single game. She kept the momentum going against the Mercury in Game 2, scoring 32 points once again.

A’ja Wilson, who has watched Jackie Young grow since her rookie year, had high praise for her evolution. “Yeah, I would say the biggest is her court vision and obviously her three-point shooting. I remember just young Jackie when Bill Laimbeer told her that she was going to be the point guard and she’s just looking like, ‘I’ve never played point a day in my life, but okay, let’s try it as a professional…..’ And now here you are, year what, seven? Jesus, year seven. And she’s facilitating. She’s throwing dimes. She’s doing everything—shooting transition threes and becoming, I say, one of the best two-way guards in this league.”

Heading into the postseason, Jackie Young was firing on all cylinders as well. She averaged 16.5 points–her second-best scoring season–pulled down a career-high 4.5 rebounds, and dished out 5.1 assists. On top of that, she recorded the first two triple-doubles of her career, stepping up to take on more ball-handling duties after Plum’s departure.

But it hasn’t been an easy journey for the former Notre Dame shooting guard, drafted first overall in 2019. Not only did she play as a point guard during her rookie year, she wasn’t even in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Napheesa Collier comfortably took home the award with 29 votes, while her Notre Dame backcourt partner Arike Ogunbowale finished second with the remaining 11. And that is something A’ja hasn’t forgotten.

“Like people were raising their eyebrows when we drafted her as one and she didn’t win Rookie of the Year, and like everyone’s story is so different, but Jackie’s story, the evolution of her, has been so great, and like that ceiling is so high,” she said in the postgame press conference.

With each passing year, Jackie kept improving, eventually earning the Most Improved Player award in 2022 along with her first All-Star nod. Since then, the world has recognized her as a top-tier player, but this season, we’ve seen the very best of her…and her coach didn’t hold back on the praise.

Becky Hammon joins A’ja Wilson to praise Jackie Young

After both Jackie and A’ja dropped 30+ points each in the overtime Game 5 win against the Fever, they were relatively quiet in Game 1 of the Finals. Fatigue was the reason, according to coach Hammon. But Game 2? No signs of it. The duo combined for 60 points, nearly doubling the 31 they scored together in the opener.

Coach Hammon has always had full faith in Young’s abilities and didn’t hold back praise after the Fever win a week ago. “We don’t do anything without Jackie Young. (Young’s) been astronomical for us, not just scoring, but distributing the ball, defending the toughest players,” Hammon said. “She is 94 feet, both ends, and it’s tough. I ask a lot of her. I demand a lot out of her, because I believe a lot in her. … She is the best two-way guard in the league.”

Championship teams find ways to keep winning, and the Las Vegas Aces are showing exactly why. After a commanding 91-78 win over the Mercury, they’re just two wins away from claiming their third title in four years. But history shows that they’ve never taken a Game 3 in the Finals. It won’t be easy on the road, yet with Young and Wilson firing on all cylinders, this could be the year they finally rewrite the script.

What do you think? Will the Aces keep the momentum and take Game 3 too? Share your predictions in the comments below!