Jackie Young won the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award after a career year for the Las Vegas Aces.
The No. 1 pick in the 2019 WNBA draft, Young averaged a career-high 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals for the Aces this season as she helped the team clinch the top seed in the WNBA playoffs.
The guard earned an All-Star roster spot for the first time in her career. She also improved her 3-point percentage from 25% in 2021 to 43.1% in 2022, and she ranked 14th in the NBA with 3.9 assists per game.
First time @WNBA All-Star, Commissioner's Cup Champion, now add 2022 @Kia 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫!What a year for Jackie Young! Aces fans, join us in congratulating @JackieYoung3! pic.twitter.com/k0ejKUJiI1— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) August 29, 2022
First time @WNBA All-Star, Commissioner's Cup Champion, now add 2022 @Kia 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫!What a year for Jackie Young! Aces fans, join us in congratulating @JackieYoung3! pic.twitter.com/k0ejKUJiI1
Young received 32 of 56 votes for the award from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu finished in second place with 10 votes, while Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham received seven votes.
Aces guard Kelsey Plum, Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan, Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams and Liberty center Han Xu also received votes.
Young joins her coach Becky Hammon in garnering national recognition. Hammon received Coach of the Year honors for leading the Aces to a 26-10 record in her first season at the helm.
The Aces dropped the first game of their WNBA semifinals series against the Seattle Storm, but they’ll get back on the court at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday for Game 2.