Rookie Report: Rickea Jackson is exceeding expectations

Rickea Jackson began the season on the bench, scoring in bunches for the Sparks. Now she’s starting, and figuring out just how good she can be.

Rickea Jackson wasn’t even supposed to be a Los Angeles Spark.

Many mock drafts had Jackson going No. 3 to the Chicago Sky, with it assumed that the Sparks then would go for two bigs and pair Cameron Brink with someone like Kamilla Cardoso. Well, that’s why they are mock drafts. In the end, teams acted differently, with Chicago selecting Cardoso and the Sparks taking Jackson at No. 4.

From the moment Jackson donned the purple and gold uniform, she exuded confidence. She was grinning from ear to ear on draft night, made an appearance on SportsCenter at the start of training camp and discussed this new generation she’s a part of:

It means a lot to be in this generation. I definitely agree this is a generation-changing class that’s coming into the league. I feel like we aren’t afraid to be ourselves. We’re coming in as that new feather that’s just like you can be like, you can be yourself, you can talk trash, you can be competitive, no matter who you’re going up against. So I feel like that in itself is just bringing more viewers because, you know, we’re just not afraid to be ourselves.

Photo by Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images

At training camp, players often can be a bit quiet, and a lot of what you hear is the same old player speak. Phrases like, “just want to help the team win,” “whatever coach wants me to do,” and “I love my teammates” are repeated hundreds of times by dozens of players. However, Jackson said she wanted to be Sixth Woman of the Year before play even began.

Eleven games into the season, Jackson may not be able to accomplish that goal anymore, given that she’s been a starter for the Sparks for the past six games.

One could discuss the Xs and Os of the game and analyze how well Jackson fits into head coach Curt Miller’s system, but simply put, Jackson is a hooper. She knows how to exploit a defense using her size, footwork and strength. Every night in the WNBA, you are facing some of the best players in the world, and every night when Jackson gets a pass on the wing, the defender guarding her needs help to slow her down.

She drives to the paint with a truck’s strength and power but moves with a Corvette’s agility.

“If there’s someone small on me, I want to post them up, but if there’s someone slower and bigger on me, I want to take them off the dribble,” Jackson said before the Sparks’ recent matchup with the Dallas Wings. “Just knowing who I have on me and reading the defense, that’s how I make my moves. I don’t like to force things. So, I just read the defense and let them dictate my moves. “

The Sparks appear to have struck gold by drafting the former Lady Vol, as she’s already established herself as a starter and just came off her best performance of the season, scoring 16 points and grabbing five rebounds in the Sparks’ upset victory over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces this past weekend.

Jackson has excelled in her rookie season; that much is clear, but even a rookie phenom has room for improvement. “I feel like an aspect I can improve on is just going a little bit more harder on the defensive end,” Jackson said before playing the Wings. “Going for more boards. I’m trying, but they’re so strong they box me out really well, but I’m still trying to go for the boards more.”

Rebounding has been a weakness not just for Jackson but the entire Sparks team. Eleven games in, they are averaging 34.5 rebounds per game, which is the fifth-lowest in the league. If Jackson’s minutes are going to increase, along with her importance to this franchise, that has to get better.

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Besides rebounding, defense is another aspect that needs improvement. There are plenty of Jackson highlights being shared on social media, but good luck finding a defensive one. The plus side is she’s aware of the work that needs to be done on that end and wants to improve. “I want to be better on the defensive end. I really wanna get after it. I want to be one of the lockdown defenders. Just continue to work on that daily.”

The season is a marathon, and a professional career is an odyssey—a tale with ups and downs, twists and turns that will take you to heights unimaginable and struggles indescribable. It’s a beautiful struggle. A quarter into her rookie season, Jackson has given fans more rose petals than thorns, and if she continues to progress forward, we’ll all be the ones owing her flowers.

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