The Los Angeles Sparks came into the 2024 WNBA Draft armed with two lottery picks. The Sparks selected Cameron Brink with the No. 2 overall pick and with the No. 4 overall pick, they selected the player many believed to be the most WNBA-ready of this rookie class in Rickea Jackson.
In their first season post-Nneka Ogwumike, it was imperative that the Sparks nailed the draft. Prior to Brink's injury, she was in the conversation for one of the top rookies in the league this season. But Rickea Jackson has also proven that she is in contention for the WNBA's All-Rookie team.
This particular rookie class has been a highly-touted one highlighted by players such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. This group came into the WNBA with a lot of hype, and it's not just Clark and Reese who have been stellar on the court. In addition to Brink and Jackson, players such as Kamilla Cardoso and Aaliyah Edwards have been focal points for their teams as well.
For Jackson, she's enjoyed seeing her fellow rookies' success across this league.
“I feel like we've been pretty much living up to the hype and having fun while doing it,” Jackson told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “There's been ups and downs as a rookie, but I feel like we just came in being confident and being ourselves and it's been pretty fun to watch. I'm just proud of all the rookies that just came in.”
Rickea Jackson is Sparks' second-leading scorer
As far as Rickea Jackson's role with the Sparks, it's been shifting ever since the beginning of the season with her move to the starting lineup. Jackson began the year coming off the bench But by the sixth game of the season, Jackson was in the starting lineup.
She's scored in double-figures in 12 of the 22 games she's played to this point. Her best offensive game of the season came during the Sparks' recent loss to the Phoenix Mercury on July 7 when she finished with 22 points 8-of-17 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from the three-point line.
Her offensive game has been a mixture of being able to create off the dribble and get to her pull-up jumper, and being able to knock down the three-point shot with consistency. Jackson was always a gifted scorer while in college, and that's been one of the main aspects of her game that's translated to the WNBA albeit still a work in progress.
“I feel I'm just learning my spots and things like that. I'm a rookie again so I've just been trying to fit in wherever I'm needed and things like that,” Jackson said. “Everybody on our team can score. I'm just trying to find my shots and when I can get them, know when I can go create a shot and just being confident with myself.”
While Jackson was always considered a lottery pick in the WNBA Draft, what really highlighted her league-ready game was a scrimmage back in November between Team USA and Tennessee. Although Team USA got the win, 95-59, it was Jackson who stood out looking comfortable on the court against current WNBA players and future Hall of Famers.
She finished that game with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting to go along with five rebounds. During Jackson's college career, she averaged 17.8 points, and 20.2 points in her final year. She was often talked about amongst fans and media as being the one player in the draft whose game could translate almost immediately to the WNBA.
Her role has changed throughout the season but she's adjusting as best as she can.
“I'm just being a sponge and taking in everything. The league is very, very physical. I'm just trying to come in every day and work my butt off knowing I got to be physical back. Each and every day I feel like I'm learning,” Jackson said. “I started out more at the four but now I'm more so at the three guarding a freakin' Kahleah Copper and the biggest stars in the world. It's been a challenge but it's something that I'm up to doing.”
Rickea Jackson's shifting role for Sparks
One of the biggest adjustments that Rickea Jackson has made since joining the Sparks is playing multiple positions at any given time. When she was coming off the bench, Jackson was playing strictly power forward. When she joined the starting lineup, she shifted to small forward. With the injury to Cameron Brink, Jackson is starting to see a little more time at power forward again.
Jackson grew up as a natural power forward throughout high school and even into her early college days at Mississippi State. It wasn't until her final year at Tennessee that she began to make that shift to small forward. A key aspect of switching between forward positions is the type of players Jackson has to match up against. But she's been willing to do whatever it is the team needs from her.
“I'm actually kind of a natural four. . .my last year in college was where I played a little more three, I feel like I'm a natural four honestly, but I'm just trying to learn that three role so I can play both positions,” Jackson said. “Going back to that position, I don't think it's going to be a huge change. Of course the physicality down there is different with bigger four players and things like that. But I know I'm quicker than them more so than not so it's just being up to the challenge of it.”
One of the standout aspects of Rickea Jackson's game that makes her such an intriguing forward option for the Sparks is her rebounding. She's only had one double-digit rebound game so far, but it's her activity on the glass and her timely rebounds that have stood out.
During the Sparks July 5 win against the Aces, Jackson secured a huge offensive rebound following a pair of missed free-throws in overtime from Dearica Hamby. The Sparks were ahead 95-93 at that point with only 11 seconds remaining in the game. An Aces rebound would have given them the final shot of the game and a chance to either tie or win it.
While Jackson is a long-shot candidate for the WNBA's Rookie of the Year Award, she is without a doubt a lock for the All-Rookie First Team. With the Olympic break approaching and the Sparks getting some rest before gearing up for the second half of the season, Jackson just wants to see the team continue to build on what they have.
“Just growth, some wins and staying together as a team and continuing to build,” Jackson said. “People say that we're in a rebuilding phase but I feel like we're a little past that. I feel like we can really shake things up, but it's just up to us to do it.”
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