ND Recruit Young Earns National Honor
Jackie Young had a record-breaking final season on the hardwood.
Now it’s time for the Princeton High School star and Notre Dame recruit to haul in the hardware.
Young, a 5-foot-11 senior guard, was named the Naismith Girls’ Basketball National Player of the Year on Thursday, the same day she was named the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year. She will play in the McDonald’s All-American Games later this month.
Young became Indiana’s all-time leading scorer as a senior, first topping former Wawasee High School star Shanna Zolman for the girls’ mark and then surpassing the legendary Damon Bailey for the all-time record. Young, who led Princeton to the Class 3-A state championship in 2015 when they defeated Tippecanoe Valley in the title game, finished her career with 3,268 points.
Young follows in the footsteps of Skylar Diggins, the 2009 Naismith Player of the Year who played at South Bend Washington and also went on to star at Notre Dame. Diggins now plays with the Dallas Wings of the WNBA.
Other notable recipients of the annual award include Katie Lou Samuelson (2015), Breanna Stewart (2012), Elena Delle Donne (2008), Maya Moore (2006-07) and Candace Parker (2003-04).
In addition to Young, the 2016 finalists were Crystal Dangerfield (Connecticut), Lauren Cox (Baylor), Erin Boley (Notre Dame) and Joyner Holmes (Texas).
Dangerfield was named the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year on Wednesday. The Gatorade National Player of the Year will be announced next week.