When Los Angeles Sparks wing Rickea Jackson was in college playing at Mississippi State, she a different head coach for each of the three seasons she was there. When she transferred to Tennessee, she had the same coach for her final two seasons in the NCAA. After the Sparks parted ways with Curt Miller this offseason, and subsequently hired Lynne Roberts, it meant that she would have two different coaches for her first two seasons in the league.

That is why, during Sparks media day earlier this week, Rickea Jackson gave an impassioned plea for new head coach Lynne Roberts.

“New coach, new system, so it’s kind of restarting for me. That’s been my basketball career unfortunately, like every year another coach. So Coach Lynne better stay,” Jackson said. “But it’s been a whirlwind and I’m so happy to be here with this group. I feel like we’re gonna do really good things this year so I’m excited for it.”

Jackson herself is one of the reasons why the Sparks should feel excited about this upcoming season. Last year, she was among only three rookies, including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, to average double figures in scoring. She was the only one of the three to shoot 45+ percent from the field while doing so.

During the Sparks’ lone preseason game, an 83-82 win against the Golden State Valkyries, Jackson finished with a team-high 13 points while shooting 50 percent (5-of-10) from the field in 24 minutes of play.

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The team selected Jackson with the No. 4 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, but the prevailing thought was she was a No. 1 overall pick talent. Her body of work as a rookie certainly seemed to suggest that. In the offseason, Jackson was a standout during the new Unrivaled league, and she’s looking forward to continuing to grow her game.

“I feel like I’ve just been focusing on sharpening every tool in my toolbox,” Jackson said. “Specifically the three, handles, the defensive end, those are the things I feel like are on the top of my list. Just staying confident with whatever I’m doing.”

Jackson began her rookie year off the bench, but quickly moved into the starting lineup after the fifth game of the season. She appeared in all 40 games, at a little over 28 minutes per game. She averaged 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists with splits of 45.6 percent shooting from the field, 34.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 80.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

With the Sparks looking to compete this season, Jackson gives Lynne Roberts a talented scoring option on the wing.