Jackie Young Decision Proves Aces Will Win in Free Agency
The WNBA's defending champion Las Vegas Aces put the entire league on notice. A coveted free agent is remaining in Las Vegas after it was announced that the Aces are finalizing an agreement with star guard Jackie Young on a one-year deal. This deal would lock her into a regular max contract ($1.19 million), per ESPN's Alexa Phillipou.
This wise move by Las Vegas has them one step closer toward retaining their core talent after it was already disclosed earlier this month that Finals MVP Aja Wilson has no interest in playing elsewhere. Young's status for the 2026 season was initially unknown since she was not cored by the Aces this offseason, which caused some concern among their fan base. Signing her through the 2026 season leaves the door open for an offer on a bigger contract in the future due to a changing salary cap under the new CBA deal in 2027.
The WNBA's free agency period, which officially opened this week, came after a marathon of months-long CBA negotiations. Despite over 100 players entering free agency it has been relatively silent on the commitments to this point, but the Aces thus far have made the most noise. All other signings will now happen in rapid succession with a looming draft date which is set for April 13.
Breaking: The Las Vegas Aces are finalizing an agreement for Jackie Young to return to Vegas, sources told ESPN. Expected to be a one-year deal at the regular max ($1.19 million).
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 9, 2026
One step closer toward the Aces retaining their Big Three. pic.twitter.com/PrsuO9i34z
The Las Vegas Aces Continue to Set the Standard
The Aces have now shown the entire WNBA why they have already won in free agency. All it took was re-signing Jackie Young, who easily would have been one of the most sought after free agents on the market. Combine it with the recent news of Wilson's return and it solidifies that head coach Becky Hammon and the Aces are aiming for back-to-back titles. Young's strong relationship and bond with Hammon certainly backs up why she's recommitted, even likely well beyond this season.
Young is a four-time All-Star, and stellar all-around guard who averaged 16.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Wilson, a future Hall of Famer, is a three-time WNBA champion and four-time league MVP who still has a lot of playing time left. But the team's work isn't done yet. Veteran and six-time All-Star Chelsea Gray remains a free agent, so a big contract still has to be dealt. The Aces have the means to lock them all in, which is best case scenario given that the franchise has relied heavily on the production of this elite trio.
The Aces still have moves to make, but it seems the most important ones have already taken place.
Lindsay Burke covers women’s basketball for Indiana Fever On SI and Women’s Fastbreak On SI. She graduated from Purdue University Fort Wayne with a Bachelor's Degree in journalism and a minor in media production. Early in her career she covered ECHL hockey, the NFL and college football and has since expanded her expertise to the WNBA and the Fever franchise.
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