An update on the basketball career of Princeton’s own Jackie Young from September 8-10, 2025:

The Las Vegas Aces, taking full aim at attempting to earn the No. 2 seed in the upcoming WNBA Playoffs, took a commanding 28-14 lead after one quarter of play in Tuesday night’s regular-season home finale against the Chicago Sky and never looked back from there, expanding its lead to as many as 35 points before eventually cruising to a 31-point victory, 92-61.

After Chicago scored the opening basket of the game, the Aces quickly reeled off an 8-0 run and then led throughout the remainder of the contest. Las Vegas, after a 6-1 spurt by the visitors, then broke the game open with a 15-0 run, a burst that was featured by one three-pointer each by three different players, to take a 24-8 lead. In the opening quarter, Las Vegas shot 62.5% from the floor (10-for-16) and 55.6% on three-pointers (5-for-9).

In the second quarter, the Aces’, following a basket by guard Chelsea Gray, led by 14 points, 37-23. The visiting Sky went on a 10-0 run to make it a four-point contest before the Aces outscored Chicago, 6-2, to take an eight-point advantage, 43-35, into the halftime intermission.

With both teams struggling in their floor-shooting effort to begin the second half, guard Jackie Young swiped a steal and subsequently converted a lay-up to spark an 11-0 Aces run, a burst that eventually became an 18-4 scoring run, to give Las Vegas a 22-point lead, 64-42, with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. Young led all scorers in the period with 10 third-quarter points.

The Aces took a 20-point lead, 66-46, as the game entered the final quarter of regulation.

Las Vegas’ lead never dropped below 18 points over the final 10 minutes of play, and the Aces finished the game with a strong-shooting effort from the floor (10-for-16 altogether and 4-for-8 from three-point range).

Young, along with guard and teammate Jewell Loyd, led all scorers with 15 points on the night. Young, who shot 6-for-7 from the floor (4-for-4 from two-point territory and 2-for-3 from ‘behind the arc’), also led the Aces with seven assists.

With the win, the Aces moved to 29-14 on the season ahead of their 2025 regular-season finale, a road game in Los Angeles against the Sparks, which was played on September 11.

Entering the final game of the regular season, the Aces were tied with the Atlanta Dream in the battle for the No. 2 seed in the WNBA Playoffs. Pending the results of the regular-season finale for both Las Vegas and Atlanta, the Aces will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, and will then begin postseason play, where they’ll take on either the Golden State Valkyries, the Indiana Fever or the Seattle Storm.

The WNBA Playoffs are slated to begin on September 14.

WNBA: Chicago Sky at Las Vegas Aces (September 9)

LVA…28 15 23 26…Total: 92

CHI…14 21 11 15…Total: 61

Jackie Young’s Stats (Sept. 9 v. CHI): Minutes Played: 26:43; FGM-A: 6-for-7; 2PM-A: 4-for-4; 3PM-A: 2-for-3; FTM-A: 1-for-2; Points: 15; +/-: +19; Offensive Rebounds: 0; Defensive Rebounds: 3; Assists: 7; Personal Fouls: 3; Steals: 2; Turnovers: 1; Blocked Shots: 1.

Jackie Young’s Per Game Stat Averages and Overall Percentages (through 43 games this season): 30.4 Minutes, 16.5 Points, 4.4 Rebounds, 5.0 Assists, 1.3 Steals, 47.4% FG, 35.2% 3FG, 89.4% FT, 2.2 Turnovers, 2.5 Personal Fouls, 0.4 Blocked Shots.