The defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces have been eliminated from the WNBA postseason by the Golden State Valkyries, which means it's time to look to 2027.
Guard Jackie Young has completed her eighth season in the WNBA. The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal with Las Vegas in the offseason and will now be a unrestricted free agent.
A five-time All-Star and two-time all-WNBA selection, Young has played for the Aces her entire career after being drafted by organization No. 1 overall in 2019 out of Notre Dame. From winning the league's Most Improved Player award in 2022 to becoming one of the best two-way players the in league, Young has been an important piece of the each of the Aces' three WNBA titles.
Young is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist
and won player of the game in the gold-medal match when Team USA beat France in the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin.
Although Young is sure to draw plenty of interest on the free-agent market, the same was true last offseason, when she didn't consider any other teams.
"I didn't take any meetings. Obviously I love it here, got drafted here. Vegas is where I want to be," Young said when asked about her process to re-sign on a one-year deal in April during the Aces' training camp for the 2026 season. "My mindset was always to come back to Vegas ... I'm excited to be back."
Instead of exploring her options, Young was in the lab.
"I spend a lot of time in the gym in the offseason just trying to get my body right so that I'm able to play at a high level during the season," Young said after scoring a career-high 35 points this season against the Seattle Storm in September. "At the same time, I spend a lot of time in the offseason just working on my game."
During the 2026 regular season with the Aces, Young averaged 18.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists as she started in all 43 contests while playing 32.3 minutes per game.
The Aces finished with the No. 3 seed in the playoffs with a 31-13 regular-season record. They were bounced out of the second round of the playoffs by the Valkyries on Friday, Oct. 9.
Jackie Young contract
Young signed a one-year, $1.19 million contract with the Las Vegas Aces for the 2026 season and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. She's played all eight of her professional seasons with the Aces. Her career earnings are $1,937,647, according to Spotrac.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Jackie Young with Aces out of the playoffs
