Aces' Jackie Young reveals sweet reason she untied her shoes to help star rookie Caitlin Clark

Brendan OSullivan

Aces' Jackie Young reveals sweet reason she untied her shoes to help star rookie Caitlin Clark image

Caitlin Clark has had her fair share of "Welcome to the WNBA" moments in her rookie season.

From trash talk to hard fouls, Clark has seen an immediate difference in her jump from college basketball's top player to WNBA up-and-comer.

It hasn't all been bad, though. "Welcome to the WNBA" moments are generally considered as rough experiences for rookies, but the No. 1 overall pick has had some highlights as well.

The Fever guard held her own against her idol, Mercury veteran Diana Taurasi. The two embraced pregame, and the veteran had high praise for Clark after the game, in which the rookie came just one rebound shy of a triple-double.

Most recently, Clark and Aces guard Jackie Young shared a viral moment on the court courtesy of the veteran guard. Young untied her shoes next to Clark after the rookie tripped, and she revealed Thursday what she told Clark during that moment.

MORE: Who is on the 2024 WNBA All-Star team?

Why did Jackie Young untie her shoes with Caitlin Clark?

When Clark stumbled over her own feet during the Aces' 88-69 win against the Fever on Tuesday, Young immediately untied her shoes next to Clark, who was retying her own sneakers.

No, Young's shoes weren't loose, nor did they need to be tied again. The No. 1 pick from the 2019 WNBA Draft just wanted to check on Clark.

"Just doing the right thing — just making sure she’s good, and just checking on her," Young said. "I gave her a little tap [and] make sure she’s cool. Because at the end of the day, we just wanna play this game, have fun, be healthy.

"Just giving her a little time to reset, regroup and make sure she's OK.”

Young's gesture bought time for Clark to recoup after the spill. It was one No. 1 pick looking out for another in Las Vegas.

Brendan OSullivan

Brendan OSullivan Photo

Brendan O'Sullivan is an editorial intern for Sporting News, joining in 2024. He previously worked at Newsday on Long Island, New York after graduating from Quinnipiac University.