Trae Young’s Wife Shelby Shares Wordless Flex Before Wizards Debut

One of the more interesting trades to take place in the NBA this season was when the Atlanta Hawks traded star point guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards on January 9 in exchange for guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert.

This trade hit hard for Hawks fans because Young was beloved in Atlanta. He was a four-time NBA All-Star there and was often the main reason why fans sustained interest in a struggling Hawks team during his eight-year tenure.

Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

However, the trade ultimately made sense because the Hawks were going to need to pay Young a ton of money to keep him long-term, and the team doesn't seem close to contention any time soon.

Young has struggled to stay healthy this season. He only suited up in 10 games and averaged 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game (both of which are much lower than his typical season averages) because he was dealing with knee and quadriceps injuries.

Washington Wizards guard Trae Young | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

This trade also raised eyebrows because Young was injured when it occurred, as he was sidelined with a sprained right MCL in his knee and a quad contusion. And the Wizards were initially uncertain about whether they wanted to play Young this season, given that they're already out of playoff contention.

Yet, news broke earlier this week that Young would be making his debut with the Wizards faced the Utah Jazz on March 5.

Trae Young, Washington Wizard. pic.twitter.com/YoWBQ9M7x7
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) March 6, 2026

Young has a very strong support system, as he has been married to his wife, Shelby, since the summer of 2023. But they have been dating since 2017, when they met at the University of Oklahoma.

The Young family now has two children together, who are often seen as their dad's games.

Shelby Young Shares Wizards Hype Post Before Husband Trae's Debut

To commemorate Young's debut on Thursday, the Wizards' Instagram account posted a hype video of Young's jersey in the team's locker room. The post was captioned, "⏳".

Shelby Young then shared this to her own Instagram story before the Wizards' game against the Jazz tipped off.

Shelby Young's March 5 Instagram story. | Instagram/@shelbyyoung11

Young is on a minutes restriction on Thursday, as Washington wants to be as cautious as possible in bringing him back into the fold.

That being said, it's still great to see that Young is back healthy on the court. This should provide a lot of optimism about where the Wizards' franchise might be headed next year and beyond.