#jackieyoung

PUMA announced the signing of the No.1 and No. 4 overall picks from the 2019 WNBA Draft Jackie Young and Katie Lou Samuelson to its basketball roster. With this signing, PUMA now boasts the #1 overall pick in the last two pro basketball drafts, 2018 NBA Draft (DeAndre Ayton) and the 2019 WNBA Draft (Jackie Young).

Jackie Young, a guard out of the University of Notre Dame, was selected first overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Las Vegas Aces. Young reached the NCAA Tournament championship twice during her time at Notre Dame, and recorded over 1,000 points throughout her collegiate career. She averaged 14.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game throughout the 2018-19 season. Young is the second Notre Dame alum to sign with PUMA basketball, joining Skylar Diggins-Smith.

“It was clear to me that PUMA had a real vision for their product and a commitment to center women in their basketball strategy, so this partnership made sense,” said Jackie Young.  “I’m proud to be a foundational member of their legacy in our game.”

Katie Lou Samuelson, a guard out of the University of Connecticut, was selected fourth overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky. During her time at UConn, Samuelson was twice named AAC Player of the Year, as well as the 2017 AAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She ranks 5th overall in career points in UConn women’s basketball history and 2nd overall in career three-point field goals.

“It’s exciting to be part of the PUMA family, and I am eager to work with them to grow our game,” said Katie Lou Samuelson. “I was drawn to the way they're merging basketball and lifestyle and their vision for standing out and elevating women in the game matched my values and goals.”

The signings come as PUMA continues their resurgence in the basketball market after launching the brand’s first basketball shoe in 20 years – the Clyde Court Disrupt – in October 2018. Young and Samuelson join a PUMA Basketball roster that includes Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Danny Green, Kevin Knox, Michael Porter Jr, Terry Rozier, Sterling Brown, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Zhaire Smith.

By: Lamarr Fields We have reached the midway point of the WNBA season; we are a little past the midway point. However, it is the All-Star break, and it's been a fun season to watch. The Las Vegas Aces got off to a great start and looked unbeatable at one point. However, as of late, they have struggled with their defense. Chicago Sky their depth on the roster is impressive. They are starting to round into form. The Connecticut Sun are a hard team to get a read on, they are so up and down, with the names on their roster, Connecticut should be dominating. Maybe the loss of point guard Jasmine Thomas hurt them more than I thought. One time that has been good of late is the Los Angeles Sparks. It looks like they finally have an offensive identity by focusing on getting the ball inside with Liz Cambage and Nneka Ogwumike. Los Angeles looks to be committed more on the defensive end of the court. The Award races will be tight this year; many players could win specific awards. We will see which players can pull out the awards post-All-Star Break.

MVP

The Aces are struggling right now, but A'Ja Wilson is having an outstanding season on both ends of the floor; she is averaging 18.1 and 10.1 rebounds per game. Wilson also shoots 49% from the field and 34% from the three-point line. The Aces star also plays outstanding defense, averaging 2.1 blockers and 1.0 steals per game. Wilson is on a mission this year for the Aces; if she keeps playing like this, she should win the MVP. But, of course, Las Vegas will have to start playing better are somebody could come in and take the award away.

Defensive Player of the Year  

Defensive Player of the Year is another close race; you could not go wrong with who you pick. I am going with Ezi Magbegor; she leads the WNBA in blocks with 2.5 per game. Magbegor is an outstanding rim protector, and she is also good in the passing lanes with her 1.0 steals per game. Magbegor has a 94.0 defensive rating so far on the season.

Sixth Player of the Year

Han Xu is having an excellent season for the New York Liberty, but Sixth Player of the Year goes to Rebekah Gardner. She may not bring the offensive punch like Xu, but Gardner is an outstanding defensive player. Gardner is an excellent off-ball defender; she knows how to get around screens. The first-year player has a 96.7 defensive rating. While Gardner is strong on defense, she averages 8.9 points per game on offense, and Gardner fits perfectly in the Sky system.

Most Improved Player

With this award, you could choose either Kelsey Plum or Jackie Young, Im going with Plum, but it could change as the season goes on. So far this season, Plum is averaging 19.9 points per game and shooting an outstanding 42% from the three-point line. She has thrived in head coach Becky Hammon's new system; Plum is also averaging 5.7 assists per game. The guard is having a career year, but as we advance will need to play more under control for the Aces to get back to their winning ways.

Rookie of the Year

Rhyne Howard is having a promising rookie season; she can score on all three levels and is a good rebounder. Howard is averaging 15.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2,6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. However, once Howard can become more efficient, in scoring the sky is the limit for her. Currently, she shoots 37% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.

Coach of the Year