Jackie Young is the X-factor in USA basketball’s dominance at Paris Olympics 2024.
On an Olympic team loaded with all-time talent, Jackie Young has emerged as a breakout star. She finished with 14 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals in her third consecutive start.
On a team inundated with so much talent, how does one stand out? It’s a tall task, and on this U.S. women’s basketball team, the reality is that several all-time scorers are buried on the bench and attempting just a handful of shots per game.
But one two-way guard has found a way to separate herself from the pack and dominate the game on both ends: Jackie Young.
In a 85-64 win over Australia in the Olympic semifinals, Young was in the starting lineup for the second straight game, and once again, she capitalized on the opportunity.
She scored a game-high 8 points in the opening quarter, and hounded Australian star Sami Whitcomb on the defensive end.
Young, widely acclaimed for her defensive prowess, was tasked with guarding Whitcomb from the jump in an effort to take her out of the game.
Whitcomb has been Australia’s offensive hub throughout the Paris Olympics, and was averaging 14.8 points and 6 assists going into the semifinals.
So, Young made it a point to stay attached to her hip, effectively navigating screens and deflecting passes.
Whitcomb, a role player on the Seattle Storm, but a superstar at the international level, was in turn held to just 5 points on 2-9 shooting, alongside 4 turnovers.
“She’s stronger physically than probably 95% of the guards that she faces,” NBC broadcaster LaChina Robinson said of Young after she forced Whitcomb into another second-quarter turnover.
Young’s Aces teammates are intimately familiar with her defensive prowess. Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, and A’ja Wilson have won two championships alongside the 2019 Draft’s #1 pick, and earlier this week, Plum described first-hand what it’s like to be guarded by Young.
