When you talk about the Las Vegas Aces this season, there are plenty of positives. A’ja Wilson has picked up right where she left off last year, Chelsea Gray continues to remind everyone why she’s called the Point Gawd, and Chennedy Carter could very well end up being the move of the summer. But there’s one player who still hasn’t quite found her rhythm yet. It’s Jackie Young. 

After setting an unwanted record for the most field-goal attempts in a game without scoring against the Atlanta Dream, Jackie Young once again went scoreless in the defeat against the Los Angeles Sparks. A player of Young’s caliber going two straight games without a point is a genuine concern, and head coach Becky Hammon addressed the issue after the game.

“We know she’s playing with a heavy heart,” she said after the game. “Basketball-wise, probably hasn’t gotten off to the start that she wants. However, we’re going to give her every support system that we possibly can.”

There are unconfirmed reports that Jackie Young recently lost two family members, which could possibly explain why Becky Hammon made those comments. While it would be unfair to speculate about exactly what Young is going through, it’s evident that the Aces guard is going through something deeply personal right now.

 She acknowledged it on social media almost a week ago. “Playing with a heavy heart is never easy💔,” she wrote on Threads. “S/O to my teammates for having my back🤞🏾.”

Hammon, who has worked closely with Jackie Young since taking over the Aces in 2022, also shed light on why the four-time All-Star was limited to a season-low 19 minutes against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night.

“The reason why she actually played a little less tonight was because of foul trouble, not anything else. I don’t care that she’s not scoring. She impacts the game in too many other ways to not put her in the game. I haven’t seen it… I’ll be checking in on her.”

In the season so far, Young has averaged around 30 minutes on the court in every game. Against the Sparks, she finished with three rebounds and two assists, but foul trouble disrupted her rhythm throughout the night. By the third quarter, Young had already picked up her fifth foul, meaning one more would have sent her out of the game entirely.

With Jackie Young battling foul trouble, the Aces slipped to their second loss of the season. Despite Wilson, NaLyssa Smith, and  Carter all scoring 20-plus points, it was former Aces star Kelsey Plum who had the final say. Plum exploded for a season-high 38 points to hand Las Vegas the loss. But this wasn’t just a one-player show.

Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby combined for 32 points as the Los Angeles Sparks shot an impressive 55% from the field to spoil the Aces’ banner night and return to LA with their third win of the season. 

For Becky Hammon’s side to truly hit their peak and give themselves the best chance of winning another WNBA title, they need Jackie Young back at her best because we all know just how good she can really be.

Ever since she stepped into the WNBA in 2019, Young has been a constant for this franchise, and every season, fans have watched her game steadily evolve. She started her career averaging around 6.6 points per game. As her role expanded and her confidence grew, her scoring output quickly climbed, jumping into double digits and eventually rising to 17.6 points per game by 2023.

However, even when her shots aren’t falling, she remains one of the Aces’ most versatile pieces. Jackie Young is capable of handling the ball, creating offense for others, defending multiple positions, and shifting between on-ball and off-ball roles depending on what the team needs.

She has been a big reason why Becky Hammon-led side have been able to win three championships in the last four seasons. 

No one can forget what Jackie did in the playoffs last season. When many believed a shorthanded Indiana Fever team could pull off the impossible and reach the Finals, it was Young’s 32 points in Game 5 that pushed the Aces to an overtime win and sealed their spot in the championship series against the Phoenix Mercury.

Game 2 of the series belonged completely to Jackie Young. She set the record for the most points ever scored in a single quarter of a WNBA Finals game after scoring 21 points in the third quarter alone. Young averaged over 20 points per game throughout the Finals and was every bit as impactful as A’ja Wilson during the series.

So as the season moves forward, the Aces will continue to support her through whatever she’s dealing with, while fans will be watching closely to see when she can rediscover her form. 

What’s next for Becky Hammon and co?

The Aces will be determined to bounce back as quickly as possible. Allowing a team to knock down 14 threes is not something usually associated with a team coached by Becky Hammon, and the head coach herself was far from happy with what she saw from her team.

“I thought we had some quick shots that I didn’t like,” Hammon said. ” Those are almost like live-ball turnovers when we take bad shots and it’s just off to the races, and it’s really hard to recover from. So if we can clean up the offensive end a little bit, I think it helps our defense. But it was a disappointing night on the defensive end for us, plain and simple.”

Even though Wilson finished with 24 points, going 8-of-20 from the field was far from the kind of efficiency she would have wanted. The Aces as a whole shot just 45% from the field, and that, combined with a disappointing defensive display, played a huge role in the loss. They allowed  Plum to control the game, gave up 36 points in the paint, and conceded 12 fast-break points to the Sparks.

Next up for the Las Vegas Aces is a tricky road matchup against the Dallas Wings. Both teams will head into the matchup coming off losses, and both will be desperate to bounce back with a win. Slowing down players like Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Jessica Shepard will be a challenge, but Las Vegas have enough firepower and experience across the roster to feel confident about their chances.

Naturally, ESPN gives the Aces a slight edge with a 54.5% chance of winning. But if Jackie Young rediscovers her rhythm, this suddenly becomes a very scary matchup for the Dallas Wings.