The Las Vegas Aces are on their way to possibly winning a WNBA championship after a fantastic regular season and a big part of their success was Jackie Young.
The All-Star guard, who was the first overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, was just named the Most Improved Player of the Year for 2022:
First time @WNBA All-Star, Commissioner's Cup Champion, now add 2022 @Kia 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫!
What a year for Jackie Young! Aces fans, join us in congratulating @JackieYoung3! pic.twitter.com/k0ejKUJiI1
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) August 29, 2022
Very well-deserved. Young saw her averages skyrocket this year, putting 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per night. That was a huge improvement from 2021 when she averaged 12.2 points. Most importantly, the WNBA star found her three-point stroke, shooting 43% from downtown as opposed to just 25% a year prior.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated earlier in the season, Young revealed she overcame a mental block from long range:
“When it came to threes, for some reason there was just like a mental block there, and I think it was just getting over that and trusting myself.”
The Aces finished tied with the Chicago Sky for the best record in the WNBA at 26-10 and just beat the Phoenix Mercury in the opening round of the playoffs. However, they lost Game 1 of the semifinals to the Seattle Storm on Sunday, 76-73. Young collected 11 points and five assists in 33 minutes of action.
Vegas still has a good chance of winning the WNBA when it's all said and done. They will need Jackie Young to keep playing at a high level though, just like she has throughout the entire campaign. This award is a testament to her hard work and dedication.
Finally living up to the hype of a top pick.
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