Ty Young Retires from WNBA After 12-Year Career with Dream, Sky, Aces

WNBA veteran Tamera "Ty" Young has ended her career after 12 seasons.

Young posted a message and video on Instagram to announce her decision to walk away from the court:

"You see my Glory but don't know my story….this is just a glimpse… Do you ever write down your goals or dreams and actually achieve them??? Since a youngin I knew what I wanted out of my life. Hard work, sacrifices, passion, dedication, and pure determination. God you're amazing and I'm so grateful to be at this place in my life with peace and joy.

"Thank You to the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, and Las Vegas Aces. Because of you I was able to live my dream for 12 years. Thank You Seattle for the experience. Thank You to all my fans and supporters forever. I appreciate your support and loyalty forever. Stay tuned because we have more exciting work coming. 'I like living this kind of life, I'm living the Blessed life.' I'm officially retired from the WNBA!!!"

Prior to joining the WNBA, Young had a dominant four-year run at James Madison from 2004-08. She was named to the All-CAA first team in three straight seasons from 2005-06 to 2007-08. The North Carolina native was named CAA Player of the Year as a senior in 2007-08 and set program records for career points and steals, among others.

The Atlanta Dream selected Young with the eighth pick in the 2008 draft. She spent the bulk of her playing career with the Chicago Sky after being acquired in an August 2009 trade.

Young appeared in 216 games for the Sky from 2009-17. The 34-year-old played her final two seasons with the Las Vegas Aces from 2018-19.

In addition to her time in the WNBA, Young played overseas for teams in Latvia, Spain, Turkey, France, Israel, Brazil, Puerto Rico and China. She averaged 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 156 games.

Young averaged 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.8 steal per game in 372 appearances in the WNBA.