{"id":723160,"date":"2026-06-08T14:36:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T14:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/723160\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T14:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T14:36:11","slug":"wnba-star-jackie-young-on-making-history-overcoming-obstacles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/723160\/","title":{"rendered":"WNBA Star Jackie Young on Making History, Overcoming Obstacles"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tTalk about a breakthrough moment. Amid historic advancements in WNBA<\/a>\u2018s collective bargaining agreement this spring, Las Vegas Aces star Jackie Young became the first-ever player in the league to ink a reported one-year, $1.19 million contract.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThis is a real tipping point for women in sports and it proves we deserve equal opportunities and hopefully will inspire the next generation to aim even higher,\u201d said the Skechers<\/a> athlete in an interview.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor women who are rising in the sport, Young had some sage advice. \u201cStay true to yourself and keep working hard, no matter what challenges you face. The path is opening up more than ever and those who follow will have greater opportunities, more support and increased recognition. The future is bright for women\u2019s basketball, so keep believing in yourself and push the game forward,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n\tYoung recalled that when she was the No. 1 draft pick back in 2019, the expectations were high \u2014 and it took a few seasons \u201cto really adjust and figure things out.\u201d \u201cIt was an incredible blessing, but people naturally have their own timeline for what they think a No. 1 pick should accomplish. Around years three and four, things started to click for me \u2014 winning Most Improved [Player in 2022], making my first All-Star team and eventually winning a championship. That journey taught me that everyone\u2019s path is different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAs she\u2019s navigated ups and downs, Aces head coach Becky Hammon has been a huge influence on Young. \u201cBecky welcomed me to Vegas with open arms when I first arrived and hasn\u2019t looked back since. I really value and appreciate having her in my corner as both a basketball mind and a person,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n

\n\tSkechers<\/a> has been another prominent supporter of the player since added Young to its roster <\/a>in 2025. The brand generated buzz this spring when it inked a deal<\/a> to become an official WNBA<\/a> partner. Young, alongside Skechers players Kiki Iriafen and Rickea Jackson kicked off the partnership for the WNBA\u2019s 30th season.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe recent partnership with was a double down on their already special commitment to women\u2019s basketball,\u201d Young said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to be working with a brand that values performance and innovation, and proud to be part of their efforts to grow the sport and inspire the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA version of this article appeared in the June 1 print issue of FN, as part of the \u201cWomen Who Rock<\/a>\u201d special section. On June 3, FN and Two Ten Footwear Foundation will honor these women at the annual live event in New York City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Talk about a breakthrough moment. Amid historic advancements in WNBA\u2018s collective bargaining agreement this spring, Las Vegas Aces…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":723161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[629],"tags":[49,48,6600,82,630,261244],"class_list":["post-723160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-skechers","tag-sports","tag-wnba","tag-women-who-rock"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=723160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/723161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=723160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=723160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=723160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}