By the age of 27, Jackie Young has won everything there is to win in the basketball world at every age group level—a high school state championship, a collegiate national championship, a WNBA title, and an Olympic gold.
Long before she was balling out in the most difficult basketball league, she was practicing her ballhandling on a backyard grass plot. In part due to her battles with her older brother, Terrence, every year their makeshift court “pretty much turned to dirt,” she says, “because of so much playing out there.”
After being lauded as one of the most promising youngsters at the 2019 draft, she was picked at No. 1 by the Aces. She was burdened with the expectations that come with that storied selection. During her first season, Young struggled to play to the level that had been expected of her. However, she slowly figured out the WNBA and has been the cornerstone of a fairly successful Aces squad, winning the WNBA twice and appearing in the All-Star game thrice. Her comeback is one for the ages,from where did she get the strength to get up after a fall? Let’s find out.
Who are Jackie Young’s parents?
Jackie Young is the daughter of Linda Young and David Wayne Edwards, Sr. Young was born in Princeton, Indiana, in the middle of three siblings, as per Yahoo! sports.Jackie’s mom raised her and her two siblings alone, with the father not being in the picture. Her older brother, Terrence, and her younger sister, Kiare, also play basketball.
She has mentioned in interviews that she“struggled [financially] my whole life.” She has also shared that she loved eating school lunch growing up because she faced food insecurity at home. “We didn’t know how much we were going to get” for food at home, she said. Despite their struggles, her mother motivated Jackie to pursue a career in basketball and thank her for that!
What is the ethnicity of Jackie Young’s parents?
Jackie Young’s parents are African American.
Inside Jackie Young’s Relationship with her Parents
Linda Young has been Jackie Young’s unwavering supporter, standing by her through every pivotal moment of her career. She was in the stands when Jackie shattered Indiana’s high school scoring record and again when she helped Notre Dame capture a national championship.
Linda beamed with pride as Jackie was selected No. 1 overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft and later watched her daughter win a WNBA championship trophy. The two share a close bond—speaking every day, with Linda sending good luck texts before games and Jackie calling her mother as soon as the final buzzer sounds.
“She’s just the happy mom who is proud and always posting on Facebook about games,” Young said of her mom. “She loves to be a supportive parent.”
Young’s mom not only posted about games but also her practice sessions and half of her facebook posts were about her children. It just demonstrates how much she loved them.
She is extremely grateful for her mother’s efforts, as she has been there with her from day 1. Young is where she is because her mother sacrificed so that she gets to do what she wants.
Young said in 2023, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay her for everything that she has done. Just being able to do what I love brings her happiness. Me being able to achieve my dreams is like her being able to achieve hers, too.”
Publicly, Jackie Young has not spoken about her father, David Wayne Edwards Sr., in any detail, nor has she indicated whether they have reconnected in recent years. There is also no known information about the circumstances under which he left Linda Young and their children. The lack of mention of her father in interviews or profiles strongly suggests that they do not have a relationship or, if they do, it remains private and not a significant part of her public life or narrative.
Growing up without two parents can be tough but Linda gave her enough love to be enough for two parents, which led to Jackie flourishing in the basketball world. She now lights up the court in the WNBA with a proud mother watching on.
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