The WNBA announced Monday that Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young has won 2022 Most Improved Player of the Year. She received 32 of 56 first-place votes, with New York Liberty guard and fellow first-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu finishing second in the voting.
She put in the work & is now being rewarded for it
@JackieYoung3 is your 2022 #WNBA @Kia Most Improved Player
Young went from averaging 12.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG in 2021 to putting up 15.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG for the @LVAces in the 2022 season
#MoreThan pic.twitter.com/CJyFA3Gyfg
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 29, 2022
The WNBA announced Jackie Young has won Most Improved Player of the Year
She received 32 out of 56 votes
Sabrina Ionescu earned 10 votes
Sophie Cunningham had 7 votes
Kelsey Plum had 4 votes
Teaira McCowan, Gabby Williams and Han Xu each received 1 vote— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) August 29, 2022
Averaging 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals, Young made her inaugural All-Star team this season. Las Vegas selected the Notre Dame product first overall in the 2019 Draft. After shooting 28.6 percent (22 of 77) beyond the arc throughout her first three years in the league, Young connected on 50 of 116 triples (43.1 percent) this season. Her growth from deep headlined a refined offensive approach for Las Vegas, who significantly upped its three-point volume and posted the WNBA’s top offensive rating in 2022.
Last week, Aces head coach Becky Hammon earned Coach of the Year, while star forward A’Ja Wilson is an MVP favorite alongside the Seattle Storm’s Breanna Stewart. The Storm and Aces continue their second-round series with Game 2 on Wednesday inside Michelob ULTRA Arena at 7 p.m.
Led by Jewell Lloyd’s 26 points and Stewart’s 24 points, fourth-seeded Seattle stole homecourt advantage from top-seeded Las Vegas with its 76-73, Game 1 victory on Sunday. Young, Hammon, Wilson and the rest of the Aces will aim to knot the best-of-five series at one game apiece with a win Wednesday.