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    • Jackie Young leads US women’s basketball team past Nigeria at the Olympics
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    Jackie Young leads US women’s basketball team past Nigeria at the Olympics

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

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    PARIS – Jackie Young loves lifting weights.

    In the offseason, the 26-year-old defender for the U.S. women’s basketball team spends her life in the weight room, adding as much muscle mass to her 6-foot-4 frame as possible. It’s necessary for the bully ball game that Young loves to play, when she uses her strength to overpower the defenders she’s defending and finish through physical contact in the zone.

    “It feels like a guy is guarding you, you can’t really move, you never get going,” explained WNBA and USA teammate Kelsey Plum. “We call her ‘Baby LeBron’, that’s the best comparison for how physically strong she is.”

    Plum also likes to think of herself as a strong defender. But even she was impressed when she walked into the weight room one day and saw Young lifting more than 300 pounds. As Young said, she loves lifting weights.

    In her first start at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Young led the U.S. team on Wednesday night, scoring 15 points as the Americans defeated Nigeria 88-74 in the quarterfinals. The U.S. has now qualified and will play Australia in the semifinals on Friday. Germany will play France in the other semifinal.

    The winners will meet in the final on Sunday, with the Americans seeking their eighth consecutive gold medal.

    Young, a three-time All-Star and former No. 1 pick (2019), was chosen Wednesday over experienced Diana Taurasi, who started every game the Americans played in the group. Coach Cheryl Reeve said she used Young “for everything,” though there’s no question she was selected primarily for her defense.

    In the WNBA, Young is usually tasked with guarding the other team’s best defender, a nod to her athleticism, high basketball IQ and yes, power. She thrives on her defense, a silent killer – she’s known for being quiet on the court – who grabs steals and forces turnovers. No one likes guarding her or being guarded by her.

    “That’s definitely my role, making stops, being aggressive on defense … that gets you feeling it and then you go (on offense),” said Young, who won a 3×3 gold medal in Tokyo three years ago.

    DIFFICULT WAY: Nigeria shows that the Olympics are no longer child’s play for US women

    On Wednesday night, she was again asked to slow down the other team’s best player, and faced off against Ezinne Kalu, the Nigerian defender who came into the medal round with an 18.5-point average and 47.8% shooting percentage. As usual, Young relied on her hard-earned muscle to get the job done, putting pressure on Kalu, who finished with 16 points but had to work harder than usual to score those points.

    “It’s to my advantage that I can stand up on defense and apply pressure, be physical, get through the blocks and when I get a big, I can fight around,” Young said. “I try to use my strength … that helps me defend at a high level and score at a high level.”

    But the unexpected contribution came with Young’s points. She scored two quick baskets midway through the first period to help the Americans protect their lead while Nigeria stayed close behind. She grabbed rebounds that led to baskets in transition, scored points on short jump shots and drew fouls.

    “She’s great, she gets into the spaces she wants to get into, she’s tenacious, plays the tactics, is a great defender, a great rotation player and a great rebounder,” Reeve said. “She does a lot of things well.”

    Of course, Young wasn’t the only reason for the US team’s victory. The fact that Nigeria only shot 24% of three-pointers and won the rebounding duel 44-28 also helped. A’ja Wilson’s 20 points and 11 rebounds, as well as contributions from Breanna Stewart (13 points) and Brittney Griner (11) also played a role.

    But Reeve has said many times that the American women’s basketball dynasty has been defined by its depth, a nod to the tremendous talent at Nos. 1 through 12 on this and past (and future) rosters. And on Wednesday night, Young was just the latest person to showcase that.

    Email Lindsay Schnell at [email protected] and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

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    Eira Gwyneth
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