Ty Young

Personal: Young is a member of Athletes Unlimited’s Player Executive Committee and hails from a family of four children. Her cousin, Willie Williams, had a 13-year career in the NFL. She appeared on the TV show “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta” and shares an alma mater, Laney High School, with Michael Jordan. Her hobbies include watching movies, shopping, cooking, and reading poems or quotes. During her upbringing, Young was involved in gymnastics, bowling, and played in a band.

2023 Season: In her second year, Young finished 23rd on the leaderboard with 3,360 points and was a member of the 2023 Athletes Unlimited Basketball All-Defensive Team. Across all 15 games, she secured four starts, averaging 7.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Notably, Young tied for fourth in the league with 26 steals, achieving a season-high of five steals against Team Bell on March 18. She consistently showcased her defensive prowess with multiple games recording three or more steals. Highlight performances included a career-high 17 points against Team Williams in the Week One finale and a season-capping achievement of 579 leaderboard points in the season finale against Team Harrison. Her final outing of the campaign marked her first double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Ending Week Three strong, she contributed back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts, tallying 12 points off the bench against Team Smith on March 10.

2022 Season: During the inaugural season, Young appeared in all 15 games and earned a single start on February 16 against Team Cloud. Averaging 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, she showcased consistency in her game. Her performance included five double-digit scoring efforts, peaking at a season-high 15 points against Team Harrison in Week Two. Noteworthy was her eighth-place ranking in the league with a .407 three-point field goal percentage and a 50.8 percent shooting accuracy from the field, placing her 10th in Athletes Unlimited. Young exhibited her skill with a 14-point effort against Team Hawkins in Week Three opener and closed Week Four strongly with 13 points and a perfect free throw record. Additional notable performances included an 11-point contribution against Team Brown, a 10-point game against Team Cloud, and securing a season-high six rebounds three times, including the season opener.

Other Professional Experience: Young retired from the WNBA after a 12-year career. She was initially selected by the Atlanta Dream with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft and played in 372 games with 208 starts across three different teams (Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas). Throughout her career, she averaged 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds. Young notably played in 24 career playoff games with 18 starts and experienced her best season with Las Vegas in 2018, averaging 9.9 points and 5.1 rebounds.

College Experience: As the first player in James Madison University history to play in the WNBA, Young stands as one of three players in program history to earn Associated Press All-America distinction. Her accolades include being a three-time All-Colonial Athletic Association selection and securing a spot on the league’s 25th Anniversary Team. Young's remarkable college career saw her become JMU's third-leading scorer with 2,121 points and second in program history with 1,127 rebounds. She holds the JMU career record with 275 steals. Her senior year stood out as her best, averaging 20.4 points and 10.4 rebounds, earning Honorable Mention Associated Press All-America honors and being named CAA Player of the Year.