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Former Notre Dame star Jackie Young gets back to business in WNBA reunion

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Jackie Young admitted on Friday she has unfinished business at Notre Dame.

Not when it comes to basketball, mind you. Not after winning a national title in 2018 during her three-year run with the Irish women’s basketball team, and certainly not in her first time playing at Purcell Pavilion in seven seasons, this time as a seventh-year WNBA vet.

“I was happy with my decision that I made to come out early [for the WNBA Draft],” Young said Friday ahead of a WNBA exhibition between her loaded Las Vegas Aces team and the rebuilding Dallas Wings, a distinction reflected accurately in the 112-78 final score.

“So, everyone knows I did that for my family, to just be able to provide for them and help them. … I have like 11-13 credits [left to complete]. I have to finish at Notre Dame. I’ve done everything I can do online. But I’ll finish that at some point.”

As far as basketball is concerned, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 WNBA Draft looked a lot like a finished product on Friday night in front of a Purcell Pavilion crowd of 7,602 that included Young’s friends and family, her ND coach — retired Hall-of-Famer Muffet McGraw and current Irish head coach Niele Ivey.

That after some tough adjustments early in her pro career and some lingering injury issues that she played through last season.

One of three of Notre Dame’s biggest stars while with the Irish that played in Friday’s game, Young scored a game-high 28 points with five rebounds, nine assists, three steals and zero turnovers.

The 2024 U.S. Olympian was 6-for-14 from the field, 3-of-8 from the 3-point arc and 13-of-13 from the free throw line. She also took some turns guarding Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers, the former UConn star who debuted with 10 points, four rebounds and an assist less than a month after leading the Huskies to the national title.

“The pace,” Bueckers said of the differences between the college game and Dallas’ exhibition opener, less than a week after training camp opened. “The flow of the game, the talent level – especially playing against the Aces with five Olympian level players and just a great team and organization.”

Bueckers’ new teammate, Notre Dame all-time leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale, didn’t shoot much (six times) or score much (five points) Friday night in 23 minutes in her return to Purcell. She was guarded at times by Young and former Irish star Jewell Loyd.

Loyd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft, was traded to the Aces this offseason after spending her first 10 seasons with the Seattle Storm. In her exhibition debut with her new team, the 31-year-old guard had 10 points, one rebound, two assists and zero turnovers for the Aces, the WNBA champs in both 2022 and 2023.

“I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to learn more,” said Loyd, who helped Seattle to WNBA titles in 2018 and 2020 and twice won Olympic gold with Team USA.

“I don’t think I’ve plateaued, and I don’t want to plateau. So, being in Vegas has allowed me to keep it going on the court, off the court. … I want to just be myself, play with joy. Obviously, the big goal is to win a championship. I want to be at my best, and I think that’s going to be brought out.”

Dallas actually led, 25-23, at the end of the first quarter Friday, but the Aces started the second quarter with an 18-3 blitz and the game was never competitive thereafter.

Ogunbowale got the loudest ovation in the pregame, but Young and Loyd were celebrated passionately too, as was Bueckers.

“It wasn’t UConn playing Notre Dame, so I would expect a little bit different energy from the crowd,” Bueckers said. “But just this environment, I thought it was a great idea to come back and have preseason games at college campuses, so hopefully, we’ll be doing that at UConn.”

Young was thankful that the idea to return to Notre Dame came up this preseason.

“I never thought I’d play here again,” she said. “The memories — the championship that we won and getting to spend three years with my friends and teammates. Getting to see Arike on the court, because we had a shootaround [Friday morning], so I saw her in passing. And we still did our handshake that we did in college.

“That’s pretty special. And being back here seeing some of the same trainers, coaches, so it’s been fun being back.”

The WNBA season opens for real on May 16, with Minnesota visiting Dallas in one of three games scheduled that day. Las Vegas opens its season on May 17 in New York against the Liberty.

LAS VEGAS 112, DALLAS 78: Box Score

• Former Notre Dame forward Maddy Westbeld made her WNBA exhibition debut on Friday night in Baton Rouge, La., as the Chicago Sky beat the Brazil National Team, 89-62. Westbeld logged 12 minutes off the bench and scored five points with a steal.

Former Irish guard Sonia Citron, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, makes her exhibition debut with the Washington Mystics Saturday against the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis.

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