Teams are stepping up under the new CBA, as the Aces crowned Jackie Young the WNBA’s first $1 million signing in an effort to keep the guard in Las Vegas.
"Breaking: The Las Vegas Aces are finalizing an agreement for Jackie Young to return to Vegas, sources told ESPN. Expected to be a one-year deal at the regular max ($1.19 million)," ESPN reporter Alexa Philippou posted to X on Thursday. "One step closer toward the Aces retaining their Big Three."
Young is the first player in league history to sign a contract worth over $1 million, with the one-year deal reaching the $1.19 million standard maximum. Per ESPN, the unrestricted free agent chose not to take meetings with other teams, remaining focused on the 2025 WNBA champions.
Las Vegas retained Young without tapping into its core mechanism, an option that provides teams an exclusive negotiating window to either re-sign — or sign and trade — top talent.
The core designation — similar to the franchise tag in other leagues — gives teams control over a top player's free agency. It also comes with a one-year supermax framework under the WNBA CBA.
The Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell, New York’s Sabrina Ionescu, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, LA’s Kelsey Plum, Dallas’s Arike Ogubowale, and others have already been cored by their respective teams.
The Sky cored veteran Ariel Atkins, though Front Office Sports reported Chicago might trade Atkins to LA in exchange for third-year forward Rickea Jackson.
The league's free agency period officially began on Monday, with teams issuing qualifying offers and core designations before the official signing window opens on Saturday.
