Whether it’s the FIBA World Cup or the WNBA, there is barely anything that has stopped Jackie Young’s offensive prowess. She was the most consistent player on the American’s side in Berlin. When Young resumed her quest to defend the Las Vegas Aces title, it seemed as if she was playing possessed. After the game, her teammate A’ja Wilson revealed that Young’s elite offense didn’t come as easily as she might make it look like during games.

“This is a Jackie that I’ve seen in the gym countless times when no one’s watching,” Wilson said after winning the game over the Seattle Storm. “This is the Jackie that has worked her butt off to prove why she was the number one draft pick, to prove why she’s all WNBA and one of the best two-way guards in this league. So this is who she is. I’m so glad that she’s living through it now.”

The Aces dominated since the tip-off, and Young led them through the game without losing a quarter. They entered the halftime with an 18-point lead. They didn’t cool off in the second half either and continued to punish the Storm, and Young was the constant punisher throughout the game. She scored a career-high 35 points while shooting 12-of-18 shots from the field, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Young opened up the first quarter with a historic performance. She scored 22 points of the total Aces’ 25 points in the opening quarter. In all of the 10 minutes that Becky Hammon kept Young on the floor, the Aces guard made 8 of her 9 shots from the field, which included three 3-pointers. She is now tied with Brittney Sykes (2019), Jewell Loyd (2021), and Diana Taurasi for the most points scored by an individual in a quarter.

Wilson also continued her MVP campaign and didn’t look like she even took a break. The 2026 MVP frontrunner scored an efficient 29 points while shooting 9 of 13 shots from the field. She also had 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in 29 minutes.

The Aces just played one of the last four games of the regular season after the FIBA World Cup break, and it seems like they are just upping their game to match the playoff intensity. Dana Evans and Kalani Brown both scored 10 points each. Wilson also added that her team needed effort from everyone on the team if they wanted to defend the title.

“It’s going to take not just us, but all of us. But it’s very key if us can get going soon and early. So when she’s first in that spot, I’m like, go, Jack, take off,” Wilson added.

Chemistry between Wilson and her teammates seems fun. But the relationship between teammates ‘isn’t something that developed by accident. It extends beyond the court. Both have been teammates for eight years now and won three titles. The aim hasn’t lowered this season, even if they aren’t the favorites

“It’s something that we build off the court. I think a lot of people see on the court, and that’s our job. But off the court, we build a bond and a trust for one another so that we understand exactly what each other needs to do to help us win these ballgames,” Wilson said.

Young has simply been elite this season. She has played 39 games this season and has averaged 18.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. This has been the best season she has played by far. Her previous best season was in 2023 when she averaged 17.6 points, and the Aces won their second back-to-back titles.

But this is a wildly different season; not only are the Aces not underdogs against a team like the Minnesota Lynx, but they are also not the top two teams in the league. But last season Wilson and Co. did the impossible. Who knows what a team with the best player in the league might pull off?