LOS ANGELES – Coming into the 2025 WNBA season, one player in particular on the Los Angeles Sparks roster who was looked at as having a potential breakout year was Rickea Jackson. Jackson showed incredible promise as a rookie a year ago, and seemed primed for a big role in new head coach Lynne Roberts’ system.

After an early stint in concussion protocol slowed Jackson’s start to the season, she was able to rebound and take a big leap in her second year in the WNBA. She got better as a scorer and handling the responsibility of being a primary option on some nights, but the one area she improved on quite a bit was her off-ball movement.

When Lynne Roberts took over as head coach for the Sparks, she brought with her an offensive system that emphasizes shots at the rim and three-point attempts, along with strong off-ball principles. For Jackson, a player that’s used to having the ball in her hands, it can be a bit of an adjustment to make. But by the season’s end, Jackson believes she able to get it down pat.

“I feel like the offense forces you to cut and find open lanes. We have a good system,” Jackson said during team exit interviews last week. “I feel like it just makes you do it, in your mind it just becomes second nature.”

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Last season, Jackson was one of only three rookies, alongside Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, to average double-digits in scoring. She was the only one of the three to shoot 45+ percent from the field while doing so. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Jackson has solidified herself as a foundational piece for the Sparks.

She appeared in 38 games this season at a little over 30 minutes per game. She averaged 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists with splits of 42.4 percent shooting from the field, 34.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 84.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Jackson upped her shot attempts from 11.0 to 12.7, and three-point attempts from 3.1 to 4.9.

Although the Sparks fell just short of making the playoffs, Jackson was encouraged by the team’s progress and is optimistic about the future.

“I feel like we’re just right there, within one game. There were other games that we beat ourselves in, so of course disappointed, but I feel like we’re trending in the right direction, planting the right seed,” Jackson said. “I feel like next year is really our year, everybody’s got to watch out.”