“When these All-WNBA teams start coming out, you’ve got to think about Jackie Young for sure. One of the best two-way players in the league, if not the best on any given night,” said Becky Hammon back in September. Now in her 6th year with the Las Vegas Aces, Jackie Young left a memorable mark over the regular season games and all the postseason matchups leading up to the WNBA Finals. Things seemed to have changed their pace with the arrival of the Finals, since the player’s abysmal Game 1 performance compelled Hammon to say that Young’s “legs were heavy” due to fatigue. Well, they certainly weren’t heavy when Young went on to set a record-breaking performance in Game 2 and once again received the praise of her head coach.

The Las Vegas Aces won Game 2 of the WNBA Finals by a 91-78 score. Before the post-game presser, the Aces players had reportedly said that Jackie Young was the head coach’s favourite. When an elated Becky Hammon was asked about the same during the presser, she replied, “They’re all my favourites”. After a few seconds, however, she solely discussed the shooting guard by saying “Jackie’s just…. She’s had to be mad at because she’s so sweet and like she gives you that big smile and it’s like ‘I am not mad anymore’. But I still got coach row, and I coach…. I coach her hard, honestly. You know, I always tell em “Be worries when I’m not yelling at you”.

Hammon’s compliment came after Jackie Young became only the 2nd WNBA player to score 30 points in 3 quarters, with the first record being established by Angel McCoughtry back in Game 2 of the 2011 WNBA Finals. Young ended the night by recording 32 points, along with 8 rebounds and 2 assists, through 12-20 (60.0%) field goals, 3-7 (42.9%) 3-pointers, and 5-5 (100.0%) free throws. With that score, Young matched her playoff career high. Furthermore, 21 of her 32 points were recorded in the 3rd quarter, making it the most scored in a single quarter in WNBA Finals history. Her contribution went a long way in securing a 2-0 lead for the Aces by recording a 91-78 score in the Finals.

“Last game, (Young) had no legs. No lift. Apparently she went and found some legs because she was cooking today… She’s a bad, bad girl,” Hammon said. Young wasn’t done adding to her list of historic stats achieved. She reached high in the ranks with a fellow teammate and couldn’t be more grateful.

Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson Compliment Each Other After 60-Point Breakout Performance

Together, Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson dropped a combined 60 points during Game 2. This marks the 2nd most points made by a duo ever in the Finals, right behind the 65 points Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart recorded in 2020 with the Seattle Storm. A’ja Wilson scored 20 of her 28 points in the first half, a feat that allowed her to become the 3rd player in WNBA Finals history to score 20 or more points in the first half. If the 2025 WNBA MVP had scored 2 more points, she would have recorded her 9th 30+ points playoff game, and would’ve become the first duo to each score 30-plus points in a WNBA Finals Game. Even though she missed out on those two records, there were still enough achievements over the course of the night to make Young and Wilson the MVPs of the night.

In the aftermath of the game, even A’ja Wilson was dismissive of the 10 points Young had scored in Game 1. She stated, “I don’t know where Jackie was in Game 1.” However, she later added, “But I am glad she showed up Game 2. I knew she was destined for this type of game. This is Jackie’s element like this is what she lives for. This is why she works so hard.”

Wilson added to her compliments during the post-game presser by saying, “Like, she is a perfectionist. And when you see someone that works so hard, every single day, and then you see the hard work pays off…. paying off, it’s a beautiful thing to witness, and I’m so grateful just to be her teammate, to come to work with her every single day, because I know…. I know that it’s there. I know that Jackie Young’s there”.

Jackie Young had similar words to say about A’ja Wilson. During her post-game presser, the shooting guard said, “No, I mean it’s, honestly, a blessing to get to play with the best player in the world every single day. I mean, she’s one of my best friends. She’s the hardest worker. I mean, she does…. puts in a lot of work behind the scenes that you guys don’t know about.”

A’ja Wilson did admit to the lapse from her side for not getting the extra 2 points by jokingly saying, “I dropped the ball on that one. Sorry, Jack”. Well, the Las Vegas Aces still have 2 games to win to secure the championship title. The opportunity to secure the feat remains.