NEW YORK, N.Y. — For the second consecutive season, former Notre Dame guard and current Las Vegas Aces silent assassin Jackie Young is a WNBA champion. On Wednesday, the Aces topped the New York Liberty in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, 70-69. It is the first time in 21 years that the WNBA has a back-to-back champion.
Young had 16 points and 7 assists in the process on Wednesday while going 6-11 from the floor. She made a few critical buckets down the stretch, landing a driving layup with 2:25 to go and making a pair of free throws on the following possession. She also played invaluable defense on the night while the Aces were missing starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes.
Through the first eight postseason games this year, Young posted 16.8 points, 6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. All of those marks were greater than her regular season numbers. Her best games, at least according to the box scores, came in the first two games of the WNBA Finals; Young had 26 points and 5 rebounds against the Liberty in Game 1 and 24 points and 8 rebounds in Game 2.
Young, last year’s WNBA Most Improved Player, managed to be a major factor on a star-studded Aces team that held the top seed in the postseason. The No. 1 overall WNBA Draft selection in 2019, she led the league with a 44.9 clip from behind the arc and posted 17.6 points each time she took the court. Her 52.3 success rate from the floor was the highest in the league amongst guards.
With last season’s WNBA title, Young joined Ruth Riley as the only Notre Dame player to win an NCAA title, a WNBA title and an Olympic gold medal. Young has now matched Riley’s WNBA title resume. Riley won championships in 2003 and 2006.