Jackie Young Aims to Lead Las Vegas Aces Past Valkyries in Game 2

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young is the player coach Becky Hammon says her team needs most as it tries to even its WNBA semifinal series against the Golden State Valkyries in Game 2 on Wednesday night, according to ESPN.

What happened in Game 1?

The Valkyries beat the Aces 71-60 on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven semifinal, ESPN reported. Young, the Aces' leading guard, was held to 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting with four rebounds and five assists, well below her usual production, per ESPN's account of the game.

Why is Jackie Young central to the Aces' plan for Game 2?

Hammon said after the Aces' series-clinching first-round win Thursday — in which Young played all 40 minutes — that no one on the roster is better suited for high-stakes basketball. "She's just built for these moments: physically built, mentally built, emotionally built," Hammon said, according to ESPN. The Aces need Young to return to form if they hope to leave Las Vegas with a tied series rather than a road deficit.

What does Young's track record say about this moment?

Young has missed only six of the Aces' 292 regular-season games since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019, and she has played in every one of the team's 59 playoff games since then, per ESPN. Over the past six seasons she has averaged more than 30 minutes a night. She has already won championships at the high school, college and WNBA levels, plus Olympic gold in 3x3 and 5-on-5 basketball, ESPN reported. A fourth WNBA title would tie the league record, and Young is trying to help the Aces get there through a rematch with Golden State.

What are opponents and teammates saying about her game?

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who played alongside Young on the U.S. World Cup team that won gold in Berlin in September and whose Fever lost to the Aces in the first round, called Young's game nearly complete. "She passes the ball and finishes through contact really well. She's strong, she's physical, she shoots the ball at a really high clip, too. I don't really think there's a single flaw in her game," Clark said, per ESPN.

When and where is Game 2?

Game 2 tips off Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET, with the Aces still hosting in Las Vegas before the series could shift to Golden State, according to ESPN's playoff coverage. A loss would send Las Vegas to the road facing a 2-0 deficit; a win would even the series at 1-1 ahead of a decisive Game 3 back in Las Vegas.

What is Jackie Young known as off the court?

Young is introduced during home games as "Special Agent Zero," a nickname tied to her jersey number, ESPN reported. The moniker sits in contrast to her reputation as a player whose game, in Clark's words, is rooted in fundamentals rather than flash.