LAS VEGAS — When Becky Hammon asks her assistants which player she coaches the hardest, they unanimously answer Kelsey Plum. In second and third place, in no particular order, are Chelsea Gray and A’ja Wilson.
As for the other member of the core four, Jackie Young? “I just can’t be mad at the girl,” Hammon says.
After Sunday’s standout performance in the Las Vegas Aces’ 99-82 WNBA Finals Game 1 victory against the New York Liberty, it’s easy to see why Hammon has trouble finding reasons to get upset with Young. She tied for a game-high 26 points in the series opener, adding five rebounds and four assists while playing stifling defense on Sabrina Ionescu on the other end. Hammon said before the game that Young could have a big series, and she proved her coach’s words prescient.
The Liberty made it their priority all season to send a crowd at Wilson in the paint. They also deployed their best perimeter defender, Betnijah Laney, on Gray. That provides openings for Young and Plum on offense, and the two took advantage Sunday more effectively than they have in any of the previous matchups against New York.
“We knew that they would focus on (Wilson and Gray),” Young said. “I think just being aggressive and not getting down (because) they weren’t guarding us….
