Jackie Young earns 5th straight WNBA All-Star nod

Jackie Young has made the spectacular feel steady.

That is part of why her fifth straight WNBA All-Star selection lands with more weight than a line on a résumé. Young was named a 2026 WNBA All-Star reserve Tuesday, joining A’ja Wilson as the Las Vegas Aces’ two representatives for the July 25 game at United Center in Chicago.

For the Aces, it is another reminder of what Young has become. She is no longer just a scoring guard, a former No. 1 pick or one piece of a championship core. She is one of the league’s most complete guards, and this season has made that harder to miss.

Full-value nod

Young’s All-Star case starts with the numbers, but it does not end there.

Through 21 games, she is averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds. The assists and rebounds are career highs, and her 6.6 assists rank fifth in the WNBA.

That matters because Young has not had to become someone else to grow. Instead, she has added more responsibility to what already worked. She still attacks the rim, gets to her spots and guards. However, she also organizes more possessions and gives Las Vegas another pressure release when defenses tilt toward Wilson or Chelsea Gray.

Becky Hammon summed up that trust after Young’s 31-point Commissioner’s Cup performance against New York.

“Jack will get cooking. You just give her the ball enough and she’ll find her spots,” Hammon said.

More than scoring

Young can still score with the best guards in the league.

She scored a season-high 29 points against Seattle on June 8. She then poured in 31 points against New York in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game, setting a title-game record while shooting 12-for-21 from the field.

But her All-Star selection reflects the larger version of her game. Young has scored in double figures in all but two games this season. She has also scored at least 15 points in seven straight games.

Meanwhile, she has handed out at least five assists in all but three games. That blend gives Las Vegas something every contender needs, a guard who can read the game without disappearing from it.

Gray has seen that pressure up close. She said Young “can score in a multitude of ways” and is “a load every time she touches the basketball.”

That is the part that makes Young difficult to box in. She does not need one type of game to matter. She can carry a scoring stretch, make the next pass, play through contact or settle a possession that is starting to slip.

Steady hand

The Aces have needed that version often this season.

Las Vegas has dealt with injuries, rotation changes and stretches where the offense has had to bend without losing its shape. Young’s role has grown inside that reality, and she has answered with one of the most balanced seasons of her career.

Her free throw shooting shows the same steadiness. Young is shooting a career-best 94 percent from the line, the third-best mark in the league. She has also made 22 straight free throws since June 25.

That detail matters because it fits the player. Young does not always need noise around her game. She just stacks the right plays until the box score shows how much she controlled.

The Aces also have two of the WNBA’s top five assist leaders. Gray ranks third at 7.3 assists per game, while Young ranks fifth at 6.6. That gives Las Vegas two guards who can create, organize and keep teammates involved.