A major reason for that success? Jackie Young.
Young is off to an incredible start and, despite missing Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, is looking like an early Most Improved Player candidate. She is averaging 19.2 points per game while shooting 54% from the field, 46% from three and 87% from the free throw line. She’s averaging a career high in every statistical category through the Aces’ first 11 games. Her scoring average is third best in the WNBA and she leads the league in Win Shares at 2.7.
“I just try to come in, locked in each game,” Young said about her offensive mentality this year. “I think it’s just going in, being aggressive and being confident that my teammates have trust in me and I just have to have that same trust and confidence in myself. Just taking open shots when my teammates are getting me the ball and just making the right plays.”
It’s not just Young’s offense that has been incredible to start the year. Her defense has been outstanding, and she has constantly matchup up with the opponents best perimeter player. Defensively, she has guarded Sue Bird, Kayla McBride, Courtney Vandersloot and Diana Taurasi, just to name a few. She held those players to an average of just 7.7 points on 27% shooting. Becky Hammon feels Young is playing at an elite level on both sides of the ball.
“She’s I mean, her efficiency is just crazy on both ends of the ball,” Hammon said. “I mean, you don’t want Jackie Young guarding you and on the other side of the ball, her mid range game and now her ability to shoot threes. Her ability to play make and pass, she is playing in an elite elite level. I just need her to be her.”
Here are some clips showing exactly what Young has been doing this year that has allowed her to have this excellent start:
Adding more ways to attack on offense
Coming into this year, Young’s best offensive weapons was her ability to attack the basket and her midrange jump shot. The Aces this year under Hammon are playing a much more up-tempo style of basketball and it’s allowing the team to score a lot more in transition. Young is thriving in transition so far, scoring 10% more of her points in transition this year than last year.
Here, Young gets the deflection leading to the steal, runs the floor hard and gets the ball ahead. She takes her defender one-on-one while the defense isn’t set and make a tough fadeaway jumper while getting fouled.
Leave a Reply