The Sparks haven’t won many games, but the blossoming of Rickea Jackson in August matters more to the future of this franchise.
The Sparks may be at the bottom of the WNBA standings, but Rickea Jackson is at the top. In a rookie class that’s already being discussed as one of the greatest in WNBA history, she has slowly but surely established herself as one of the best players from the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Despite being the No. 4 pick, Jackson wasn’t getting anywhere the media attention of her peers. That predominantly went to the No. 1 selection, Caitlin Clark, and No. 6 pick, Angel Reese. Even on her own team, Cameron Brink was selected at No. 2 and was the focus point during training camp and the early parts of the season.
This wasn’t a slight of Jackson; it was just where she was in the rookie hierarchy. Clark, Reese and Brink came into the league with star power and name recognition. In contrast, Jackson didn’t begin with that kind of notoriety or status. The best-case scenario for her as the season began in May was being the first player off the bench.
In August, however, Jackson has made it clear that she’s arrived, averaging a team-high 16.6 points on 54.2% shooting, which is also the best percentage on the team for the month.
She’s exceeded even her own expectations of what she could accomplish on the court. Before starting the WNBA season, she discussed being a Sixth Woman of the Year as a goal. That is now impossible as she’s established herself as a bonafide starter and has only come off the bench in five games this season.
No one is sleeping on Jackson now. She gets some of the loudest applause from the home crowd when her name is announced as a starter and media scrums get larger and larger for her pregame. Even Sparks Head coach Curt Miller is among those who have been impressed with how much she’s improved this season.
“I don’t think enough can be written about the credit that she deserves on the growth of her game in a very short period,” Miller said before the Sparks played the Liberty. “You see it from year one to year two, or someone’s in their third year and you look back at where they were their rookie year. The amount of improvement that’s she’s really displayed from May to August in a short window with a long break for the Olympics is remarkable.”
Against the Dallas Wings on Aug. 25, she scored a career-high 25 points, making six 3-pointers. This topped her previous high of 22 points, which she set against the Phoenix Mercury back in July.
Thanks to her development over the past couple of months, Jackson is now third in scoring amongst rookies, averaging 12.6 points on the season. Only Clark and Reese are ahead of her in offensive production.
The offense gets the people’s attention, but the defense keeps you on the floor. Jackson has improved tremendously in that area. She’s switching on pick and rolls much better than she did at the start of the season and more than holds her own on switches in the post. She’s averaging 0.9 in both steals and blocks in August, placing her amongst the top three rookies in both categories.
“In the beginning of the year, I was still learning things,” Jackson said before the Sparks matchup against the Liberty. “I feel like as long as I stay within it and stay learning and being a sponge, I feel like I was going to get to this level. My confidence has grown a ton and I’ve really been focusing on my defense. So I feel like all and all that has helped me stay on the court more and be more confident.”
The blossoming of Jackson opens up the potential for this rebuild to bear fruit much quicker than expected.
Dearica Hamby is an All-Star and has already signed a contract extension through 2025. Even in her all-too-brief cameo this season, Brink demonstrated elite rim protection and defense and an offensive game with potential as well.
As the Sparks continue to lose this season, Thursday’s win notwithstanding, their odds of earning the No. 1 pick increase. Adding a player the caliber of Paige Bueckers or even Kiki Iriafen gives the Sparks an even brighter future.
Whatever that future may hold, though, Rickea Jackson has proven to be a very big part of it.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
