Jackie Young is the X-factor in USA basketball’s dominant win over Australia

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, Young was in the starting lineup for the second straight game, and once again, she capitalized on the opportunity, scoring 8 points in the opening quarter, and hounding 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 Whitcomb’s hip, effectively navigating screens and deflecting passes. Whitcomb, a role player on the Seattle Storm, but a superstar at the international level, was 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 announcer 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.

“It feels like a dude guarding you, you can’t really move, you can never get any momentum,” Kelsey Plum said a few games prior, per USA Today. “We call her ‘Baby LeBron,’ that’s the best comparison for how physically strong she is.”

At the same time, she’s been no slouch on offense, either. Young hit her first five shots, and finished the game with 14 points on 6-8 shooting, 5 assists, and 2 steals — all in less than 20 minutes of play.

“She’s terrific, she gets to the spaces she wants to get to, she’s persistent, plays the schemes, great help defender, great rotator, great rebounder,” Reeve said. “She does a lot of things well.”

When the roster was first assembled, it seemed like Young might be one of the players at the bottom of the guard rotation. Diana Taurasi, one of the most decorated players in basketball history, initially had the starting spot. Chelsea Gray, the 2022 Finals MVP, seemed poised to be the lead facilitator. Then, you had Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, Kahleah Copper, and Jewell Loyd all competing for minutes off the bench.

But, Jackie Young has emerged as USA’s third-leading scorer throughout these Olympics. While most analysts wouldn’t have predicted that, she’s in the midst of a career year in the WNBA, and quickly adapted to a different role with USA Basketball.

With the Las Vegas Aces, Young is averaging 18.5 points and 5.6 assists per game — both career highs. When teammate Chelsea Gray missed the first 12 games of the WNBA season recovering from a foot injury, Young stepped up and assumed playmaking responsibilities.

“The way she’s a great two-way player really jumpstarted everything,” Stewart said after the USA’s win over Nigeria, per ESPN.

Young, widely known as the Silent Assassin, will keep thriving in her role as the U.S. pursues gold.

“I know that’s kind of my role in the team. You know, come in and be aggressive on the defensive end,” Young said after the Nigeria win, per Detroit News. “Be physical, get stops. And you know, that kind of gets us playing in transition on the offensive end.”

In turn, Team USA secured a 60th consecutive Olympic victory.

“They’re starting to gel,” Dawn Staley, one of the most decorated figures in women’s basketball, told NBC’s Zora Stephenson at halftime. “The biggest movement I see is on the defensive side of the basketball.”

Young is undoubtedly A tone-setter there, as is Aces teammate A’ja Wilson, who finished with 4 blocks and 2 steals in a dominant defensive display.

On Sunday, the U.S. women will get the chance to compete for an 8th consecutive gold medal, facing off against the winner of Belgium and France’s semifinals matchup.

“We got where we wanted to be,” Breanna Stewart said on the NBC broadcast after the game. “Now we have one more game to get a gold medal.”