Jackie Young

For two-and-a-half quarters, the Indiana Fever had survived each of the Las Vegas Aces’ inevitable runs, largely through teamwork, resiliency, and being at the right place at the right time. Undeterred, even with every white jersey determined to prevent her from delivering that game-deciding run, Jackie Young drove baseline with a simple message included: even the court’s “sixth defender” wouldn’t be enough for her sixth sense. Officially on Indiana’s radar following a 17-point opening half, Young opts for a screen, setting her path for a right-sided drive. Challenged by a triple whammy of Lexie Hull’s on-ball defense, Kelsey Mitchell’s help rotation, and the closely-approaching out-of-bounds line, Young shows champion-like calmness, taking flight before hitting a cutting teammate to set up a crowd-igniting score. The play encapsulated Young’s night as she kept Las Vegas’ offense on schedule, even without one of her fellow All-Star backcourt mates. History wasn’t far behind as Young recorded her fourth-straight game eclipsing the 20-point, six-assist plateau — the second player in WNBA history to reach that many games — ultimately recording 22 points, six assists, two steals, and three triples in the runaway win on May 25, 2024.