2 veterans making key adjustments during Aces’ winning streak

It’s no secret it took a slew of changes for the Aces to turn their 2025 season around.

Two of those center on guard Jackie Young and center Kiah Stokes, who are quietly adapting to new roles. Young is handling the ball more often and has helped the team win 12 straight games to leap into second place in the WNBA standings. Stokes, on the other hand, is finding her place as a reserve.

Young’s circumstances might not seem too different on the surface.

She was the Aces’ third-leading scorer last season averaging 15.8 points per game, behind three-time MVP A’ja Wilson (26.9) and guard Kelsey Plum (17.8). She’s the team’s second-leading scorer (16.4 points per game) this year. But Young’s role expanded when the Aces sent Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks in a three-team trade that brought back guard Jewell Loyd over the offseason.

“We put a lot on Jackie’s shoulders,” coach Becky Hammon said. “This year, you’re seeing her in a lot more ball handling situations, which she’s always pretty much been able to do. It’s just that there’s only one ball, and last year Chelsea (Gray), (Wilson) and (Plum) had the ball.”

Hammon said she feels fans are now getting to see Young flourish as a decision maker. Young, 27, recorded her first two triple-doubles this season, making her the third player in Aces history with multiple triple-doubles in her career.

She feels like she’s found a groove where she knows Hammon trusts her with the ball, especially late in games.

“It’s a bigger role, but this is what I work for,” Young said. “So I enjoy it. I enjoy putting in the work. It was an adjustment at first. It took a bit of time.”

Part of the adjustment for Young, who is nicknamed the “silent assassin,” was being more vocal.

“I knew that I could always lead by example with my work ethic and things like that. But now, just having a voice and my teammates’ trust, if I see something, I’m able to talk to them. They’re always willing to listen,” Young said. “So I think that’s the biggest thing, just trying to challenge myself a little bit.”

Young has taken that approach off the court as well. She exited Klutch Sports in April, the agency that represents Wilson, Gray and Loyd. She’s now with WME, joining a client list that includes Plum and WNBA legend Candace Parker. Young also left her shoe deal with Puma for Skechers in July.

“Just evolving, staying true to myself and what I want for myself,” Young said. “I think I was ready to just grow. I have a lot of expectations and goals for myself, and so I just wanted to be put in the best possible position to achieve that.”

‘Whatever it takes to win’

Stokes, a 10-year WNBA veteran who has won two championships with the Aces, is finding a new way to help the team after being moved out of the starting lineup.

The 32-year-old started in 29 of her 39 games last year and averaged 1.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. But she was moved to the bench midway through this season after the Aces acquired NaLyssa Smith in a trade with the Dallas Wings.

That’s led to Stokes playing less than 10 minutes in each of her team’s last nine games.

“We still value (Stokes),” Hammon said last month. “There’s times I just trust her so much at the end of the game, defensively, understanding what we want to do with the ability to execute it stone cold. Not having played, I could put (Stokes) out there.”

Stokes has taken the shift in stride.

“Obviously, it sucks,” she said. “But on the flip side, I feel like I’ve never been a selfish player, so whatever I need to bring to the team is what I’ll do. So if that’s just providing niche energy, I’ll do that. And then we got a win streak, so I really can’t complain.”

Stokes added she’s always been a “chill person,” and was fine being rotated in and out of the starting lineup for forward Alysha Clark and center Megan Gustafson last year.

“Whatever it takes to win,” Stokes said. “(Hammon and I) were probably on the phone for like an hour last year. I think this year we just did the same thing. It was very similar.”

Stokes said she’s using her increased time on the bench to be more vocal about what she sees on the court. She’s also already made plans to work on her game by committing to play for Athletes Unlimited in Nashville, Tennessee, instead of heading overseas this offseason.

“I could have always gone back to Turkey, but my knees hurt,” Stokes said. “(I’ll) go hang out with my friends, play a little basketball and then get ready for next season.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.