Jackie Young proved her worth in the second game of the WNBA Finals, overcoming any obstacle to lead the Las Vegas Aces to victory. Despite an unusual game time and not feeling one hundred percent in the previous game, Young recovered to deliver a stellar performance. With an impressive 32-point performance, Young became the first Aces player to reach 30 points in a playoff game, contributing to her team’s victory over the Phoenix Mercury with a score of 91-78. This triumph gave them a 2-0 lead in the series.
Young’s performance was even more outstanding as she scored 21 points in the third quarter, setting a WNBA Finals record and the most in a playoff quarter since 2006. A’ja Wilson, Young’s teammate, expressed her pride in her teammate’s performance, highlighting Young’s influence on the team. Wilson finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds. The combined points of Wilson and Young totaled 60, becoming the second-highest point total achieved by a pair of players in Finals history. Chelsea Gray also left her mark, becoming the fourth player in WNBA Finals history to record multiple games with 10 points and 10 assists.“Jackie was unstoppable,” commented coach Becky Hammon. “When she manages to make a couple of shots, it’s very difficult to defend her well. … She’s an exceptional player.”
Becky Hammon
“They are stars,” Hammon declared about Wilson, Young, and Gray. “That’s why the expectation is so high, because of those three… that’s what makes this team so difficult.”
Becky HammonThe Aces demonstrated their dominance for three quarters of the game, with a defensive approach that made the difference. After a challenging first quarter, they adjusted their defense, limiting the Mercury and securing the victory. Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts acknowledged the need to improve strategy in upcoming games to counter Las Vegas’s offense. With the series moving to Phoenix for Game 3, the Aces are preparing for a more intense and challenging matchup, aware of the Mercury’s determination to avoid a 3-0 deficit. “That’s the goal: not to give in,” Hammon said. “We don’t want to have a satisfied locker room because we haven’t arrived yet.”
