WNBA star, Princeton grad Jackie Young returns to town as champ and hero

PRINCETON, Ind. — Jackie Young has been a winner at pretty much every level of the basketball game.

At Princeton High School, she became Indiana's all-time leading scorer and put up a record-breaking 36 points for the Tigers in their 2015 IHSAA Class 3A state championship win. Three years later, she won a collegiate national championship with Notre Dame. She won an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. And now, she's a WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces.

Young returned to Princeton as the Gibson County town celebrated her with a parade. Many of the town's faithful lined up along Broadway Street and the courthouse with No. 0 Aces jerseys and tons of other Young signs and gear. Young was all smiles as she rode in the back of a Princeton fire truck, waving and throwing candy to young children.

Following the parade, Young had a meet-and-greet with fans at the park near the courthouse. She autographed a variety of things, from a basketball to a young child's arm.

"(Princeton) does a good job of supporting me," Young said. "They've supported me my whole career. I'm super thankful for them. They always put on a show and have a parade, and I want to thank Princeton for even wanting to do that."

"It's crazy," Young's mother, Linda, added. "Like when will this ever happen again for someone to accomplish all this? She just turned 25 in September. I still don't think that it's really sunk in that (the Aces) won a championship."

It's been a whirlwind for the Young family during and after the Aces' championship run against the Connecticut Sun. Linda flew from Las Vegas to Uncasville to watch her daughter play, and watching the WNBA Finals was a nerve-wracking experience for the entire family. Linda also knew that it could have been either team's game, especially when the Aces didn't clinch the title the first time in Connecticut following their 2-0 series lead.

Once the final buzzer hit and the Aces stood at the center of the podium, it was nothing but smiles and excitement.

"It's fun, but it's unimaginable," Linda said of the entire experience.

Many knew of Young's potential when she was young. Princeton Mayor Greg Wright first saw Young play in elementary school at the old Salvation Army gym and knew that she could hang with the high school's boys players.

Young's determination led to her historic career at Princeton. She averaged 34.4 points per game her senior season and scored a season-high 53 points against Gibson Southern. Young was so dominant on the court that former Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw would come all the way down to Princeton to watch her games.

Young started her three-year journey with the Irish the following season and became a No. 1 WNBA overall draft pick.

"It's very rare that you have that level (of success)," Wright said. "There's very few players, male or female, that has accomplished that in the history of basketball. To have somebody like that who is our local hero is very, very special."

Young had an even greater connection at the parade with the young girls in attendance. A Princeton volleyball player still in her uniform beamed with excitement as she saw Young. Young smiled even brighter as she waved back to toddlers at the parade.

She was once that little girl who looked up to role models.

"I want to be that good example for them," Young said. "I want to show them that with hard work and dedication that you can do anything you set your mind to. I try to take the time out for the kids and give them a little bit of my time and encourage them."

Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on Twitter @Twashington490.