eammates and friends with shoe deals give her kicks and grant her acc

“I always knew when the new Jordans were coming out because she would come in my office … sit down … and she’d get this little grin on her face,” Brooks says. “It was different from any other grin. So I’m like, ‘OK, well, which Jordans are coming out next?’ She would really burst out into laughter. … I’d have my director of operations be on it to figure out when Nike Air Max 2017 Womens they would come out, and Nike Roshe Run Womens we’d kind of surprise her Nike Internationalist Damenwith them.”Because JMU was sponsored by Nike, Brooks could see that his star player got essentially any sneaker she wanted, even Jordans, within reason from the team’s equipment budget. Between the kicks she received from her coach and the ones she bought herself, Young began wearing a different pair on the court almost every week. In college, she played in everything from the triple-white Air Max 2 Charles Barkley 94 low tops to the all-black Air Jordan 10s, the Nike Air Penny 4s and “Statue” Air Jordan 9s. Her go-tos were the “Grape” Air Jordan 5s and “Linen” Air Jordan 10s, both of which she’s repurchased since getting to the WNBA.

The Linens were tough to find since they’ve only dropped once, in 2005. But a few years ago, Young stumbled across them at a sneaker boutique in Nike Air Max 90 Mujer Nike Air Max 2017 Mujer Atlanta and threw them in the bag Nike Roshe Run Mujer — even despite the hefty $40Nike Air Force 1 Damen 0 resale price. “There were several games where I’d go back and watch film. In one half she’d have on a pair of Jordans. In the second half, she’d have on a different pair of Jordans. I’m like, ‘Why?’ And she’d say, ‘I’m not feeling that vibe … I wanted to go with the other ones,’ ” Brooks says. “She expresses herself through her shoes, and that was an instrumental part for her to be able to play freely, to play loose, to play as well as she did.”At JMU, Young finished as all-time leading scorer (2,121 points) in both school and conference history. “As we went through college and got a little more savvy with our money, her collection grew,” Lawrence says. “And as soon as she went to the WNBA and was making a salary, she went crazy.”“Somebody’s salary, for sure,” Young says of her lifetime Nike Air Max 90 Femme sneaker tab, shaking her head. “I’ve spent a lot.Adidas ZX 750 Femme ”

If there’s one plot twist to her saga as a sneakerhead, it’s that Young has never been endorsed by a shoe company. Even despite a decade-plus pro résumé that includes stops with three different WNBA teams in the large markets of Atlanta, Chicago and Vegas. And a crazy collection to back up her expert-level sneaker knowledge — nothing.Teammates and friends with shoe deals give her kicks and grant her access to their brand accounts so she can place orders. Hoping to capitalize off her considerable influence, random Instagram followers, especially customizers, will send free pairs, just for a shoutout. She also has a virtual Rolodex of contacts and specific stores that look out when the time comes for a hot new drop. She’s always looking for that men’s size 9 . Nike Air Max 90 Womens But more Nike Air Presto Mujer often than not, Nike Air Max 2017 MujerYoung comes out of Nike Air Max 95 Femmepocket to feed her passion.After she Nike Dunk Sky High Womens was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft, as the first draft pick in the history of the Atlanta Dream’s franchise, Young remembers being sent free shoes from Nike during her first year in the league. She says shipments stopped coming after she fell short of that season’s All-Rookie Team.Young’s extensive ensemble of 59 pairs of 1s transition to her Air Jordan 2s and 3s.