🏀 JACKIE YOUNG IS CHASING A RECORD NO BASKETBALL PLAYER HAS EVER ACHIEVED! 🇺🇸🔥…🏀 JACKIE YOUNG IS CHASING A RECORD NO BASKETBALL PLAYER HAS EVER ACHIEVED! 🇺🇸🔥
BERLIN — Jackie Young has already collected championships at nearly every level of basketball. From winning a state title as a high school player to becoming an NCAA champion, a WNBA champion and an Olympic gold medalist, Young has built one of the most unusual championship résumés in the sport.
And in 2026, she added another historic chapter.
Young helped Team USA win the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, giving her a collection of major basketball achievements that few players — if any — can match.
The United States defeated France 97–79 in the World Cup final on September 13, overcoming an early 14-point deficit to claim its 12th World Cup championship and fifth consecutive title. Young was one of the stars of the decisive game, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists.
It was the kind of performance that turned an already remarkable résumé into something even more extraordinary.
FROM INDIANA TO THE TOP OF THE GAME
Young’s journey to the top began in Indiana, where she established herself as one of the state’s standout young basketball players.
She went on to play college basketball at Notre Dame, where she became part of a championship-winning team. The NCAA title represented one of the first major milestones in a career that would eventually take her from college basketball to the professional game and the international stage.
But Young’s story did not stop after college.
She entered the WNBA and became an important part of the Las Vegas Aces. With the Aces, she experienced championship success at the highest level of professional women’s basketball.
That combination — an NCAA championship and WNBA championship — is already something that represents years of elite competition.
Then came the Olympics.
TWO DIFFERENT OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS
Young’s international résumé became even more unusual when she won Olympic gold in 3×3 basketball at the Tokyo Games and later Olympic gold in 5-on-5 basketball at Paris 2024.
The two formats require different styles of play.
Traditional 5-on-5 basketball demands teamwork, depth, structured offense and defense, while 3×3 is played at a much faster pace on a half court, with constant transitions and a premium on versatility.
Young has succeeded in both.
Her 2024 Olympic résumé is officially recognized by USA Basketball, which listed her among the Olympic gold medalists on the U.S. women’s roster.
That made her international career especially distinctive.
And then came Berlin.
WORLD CUP DEBUT — AND A GOLD MEDAL
Young entered the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup as one of the members of a star-studded Team USA roster.
USA Basketball announced her as part of the 12-player World Cup team alongside players including Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier and other established American stars.
The tournament was not easy.
The United States faced serious challenges throughout the competition, including a difficult group-stage game against Italy. The Americans eventually survived that contest 55–52, with Young scoring 10 points and being named Player of the Game.
The biggest test, however, came in the final.
France came out aggressively and built a 14-point lead. But Team USA responded before halftime and then took control after the break.
Young played a major role in the comeback.
She scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and delivered five assists as the Americans defeated France 97–79.
Across the six games of the tournament, Young averaged 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. She was also selected to the World Cup All-Star Five.
A RÉSUMÉ THAT SPANS EVERY LEVEL
That World Cup victory completed another major piece of Young’s basketball journey.
Think about the levels involved.
🏆 High school state championship
🏆 NCAA championship
🏆 WNBA championship
🥇 Olympic 3×3 gold medal
🥇 Olympic 5-on-5 gold medal
🏆 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup title
It is an extraordinary list.
Each championship represents a completely different challenge. High school basketball is where many players first establish themselves. College basketball introduces national competition and the pressure of the NCAA tournament. The WNBA represents the highest professional level in the United States.
Then there is international basketball.
Winning an Olympic gold medal requires succeeding against the world’s best national teams. Winning in both 3×3 and 5-on-5 adds another unusual dimension.
And the World Cup is another major test altogether.
Young has now experienced success across all of those stages.
HER BERLIN MOMENT
The significance of Young’s World Cup performance goes beyond the numbers.
In the final against France, she wasn’t simply a participant on a championship roster. She was one of the players who helped Team USA turn the game around.
Her 18 points were a tournament-high for her, while her six rebounds and five assists showed the all-around impact that has become a defining part of her game.
FIBA named Young to the tournament’s All-Star Five alongside teammate Breanna Stewart. Stewart became the first player to win the World Cup’s TISSOT MVP award twice.
For Young, however, the biggest prize was the gold medal.
The United States finished the tournament undefeated and extended its World Cup winning streak to 36 games, while capturing a fifth consecutive championship.
MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP
For most basketball players, winning one major championship can define an entire career.
Young’s journey is different.
Her career has taken her from Indiana gyms to the NCAA tournament, from the WNBA to Olympic competition, from 3×3 basketball to traditional 5-on-5 — and finally to the World Cup stage in Berlin.
That is what makes her résumé so fascinating.
The individual championships came at different times and under completely different circumstances. But together, they tell the story of a player who has consistently found a way to compete at the highest level.
And now, after the World Cup victory in Berlin, Jackie Young has another piece of history attached to her name.
The question is no longer simply how many championships she has won.
It is how many different stages she has conquered.
From high school.
To college.
To the WNBA.
To Olympic 3×3.
To Olympic 5-on-5.
And now, the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
🏀 Jackie Young’s championship journey has reached another extraordinary milestone.
🇺🇸 Berlin gave her another gold medal — and another chapter in one of basketball’s most distinctive championship résumés.
