Jackie Young scores 35 as Aces cruise past Storm, extend win streak to four

Jackie Young has already accomplished plenty during her seven-year WNBA career. But she keeps finding ways to add to her résumé.

Young crossed the 1,500-point mark for her career and led the Las Vegas Aces with a game-high 35 points and added five assists in a 114-77 road win over the Seattle Storm on Thursday at Climate Pledge Arena, extending their winning streak to four games including three before the break.

The three-time WNBA champion converted eight baskets in the first quarter, including three 3-pointers, for 22 points — tying the WNBA record for most points scored in a quarter with teammate Jewell Loyd, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Sykes.

Complementing Young’s performance, A’ja Wilson set the record for the most made free throws in a single season with 259, shooting a perfect 10 of 10 from the line in the win while recording 29 points along with seven rebounds and five assists.

The four-time MVP entered Thursday averaging a league-best 26.0 points per game and is now nine points away from becoming the only player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 points in a season multiple times. She previously accomplished the feat in 2024.

“Jackie got us off to a great start and got on a heater in that first quarter and that kind of loosened up the defense for everybody else,” said Aces coach Becky Hammon. “We had a lot of solid contributions from everybody.

“We need to be about ourselves and form our identity and who we want to be headed into the playoffs.”

Although Chelsea Gray eventually returned to the game, the Las Vegas guard briefly left Thursday’s matchup in the first quarter after colliding with Seattle forward Taylor Thierry underneath the basket.

Gray attempted to draw a charge from Thierry, who was driving in from beyond the 3-point line. The two players collided, with Thierry’s knee appearing to catch Gray in the hip area before Gray fell hard to the court.

Gray reentered the game to begin the second quarter and finished with five points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Aces closed out the first half of their two-game set against the Storm with a win.

The Aces remain in third place in the league standings after the victory, one and a half games behind the second-place Golden State Valkyries and one game ahead of the Atlanta Dream for the third seed heading into the playoffs, which begin on Sept. 27.

Las Vegas entered Thursday averaging 90.6 points per game, fourth in the WNBA, while ranking among the top three in field-goal, 3-point and free-throw percentage, and that trend continued Thursday night.

This win marks a franchise-record 12th time this season that the Aces have scored at least 100 points as they shot 58% from the field on 69 attempts, including 13 made 3-pointers.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas also turned defense into offense, forcing 14 Seattle turnovers that led to an additional 20 points for the Aces as they built a game-high 37-point lead.

“I think when we play defense we are the toughest team in the league, ” Hammon said. “It is one of those things that is a separation factor for us, and I thought the frst unit really set a great tempo for us defensively.

“Offensively I know we can get stuff but I know we are at our best offensively when we are playing defense and playing out of our defense.”

The Aces will face the Storm again on Sunday for the second half of the home-and-home series at Michelob Ultra Arena. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m.