Some coaches build champions with encouragement, but others get there by pushing buttons until a player pushes right back. That was the dynamic Ty Young experienced under Bill Laimbeer, and she recently broke down exactly what that looked like in practice.

Speaking on the Girls Tripp podcast, Young recalled a specific moment during a layup drill that captured Laimbeer's blunt coaching style.

"One time we were in practice, and we were doing like some drill layups, and I like missed the layup. He's like, oh fu, if you don't want to be here, just leave. I'm like, Bill, if I don't want to be here, I wouldn't be here," Young said on the Girls Tripp podcast.

This is just the type of conversation Laimbeer had throughout his entire 17 years of coaching, during which he won three championships and had an outstanding regular season record of 306-215.

Young's attitude toward Laimbeer only added another layer to their relationship, and it was evident that Young found this dialogue to be one of the most important aspects of her time in Las Vegas.

"He would keep messing with me because I would talk back to him because I know he tries to be a bully and it's like you can't bully me," Young said on the same podcast.

It did not stop the respect from being shared, for during these two seasons between 2018 and 2019, Young played 67 games during the regular season and scored 7.6 points and grabbed 4.4 rebounds per game while the team advanced to the playoffs in 2019.

Laimbeer’s tough attitude as a coach had earned him the Coach of the Year award twice, in 2003 and 2015.

That combination of toughness and humor was an important part of the journey Young had undertaken way past their point of being separated as both a player and coach.

Ty Young's Journey After The Aces

Young officially retired from playing in July 2021 after a 12-year professional career. She played her last WNBA games for the Aces in 2019 and then turned to other ventures, including broadcasting, business, and coaching.

Before entering the WNBA, Young was a force to reckon with at James Madison, where she received All-CAA first team honors for three consecutive years.

She also received the CAA Player of the Year award in 2008, the year Atlanta selected her eighth overall in the draft before trading her to Chicago in August 2009.

Between 2009 and 2017, Young suited up for 216 games with the Sky, averaging 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds throughout her WNBA career.

She also has established herself overseas by playing in Latvia, Spain, Turkey, France, Israel, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and China.

Ty Young made a brief comeback to the league in 2024 as an assistant for the Chicago Sky under Teresa Weatherspoon, although she left the team at the end of that first year.

How would you describe Ty Young's career path since leaving the Aces? Share your thoughts.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta