Former Lady Vols star Rickea Jackson scores first points in preseason debut for Los Angeles Sparks

Former Tennessee women’s basketball star Rickea Jackson, one of the top picks of the 2024 WNBA Draft, scored her first points in a Los Angeles Sparks uniform on Saturday evening. And though it might just be the preseason, Jackson looked sharp in her debut.

To score her first points, Jackson backed down Seattle Storm forward Joyner Holmes before turning around and draining a jumper from just inside the left elbow. It’s a move that served her well at Tennessee, and got her off to a good start in her first live action as a professional.

Check out the move from the No. 4 overall pick.

GO HEAD ROOK!

Turn around fade away for Rickea Jackson's first career basket 🔥

📲: SEA-LAS on the WNBA app pic.twitter.com/GzwGJJNyQF

— WNBA (@WNBA) May 5, 2024

More on Jackson joining the Sparks

Jackson has a four-year deal valued at $338,056. She’ll have an option in Year 4 of the deal once the 2027 cycle begins.

Her full contract details can be seen below.

https://t.co/hqF3Oq155B pic.twitter.com/ZhVnDi7fC7

— Spotrac (@spotrac) April 16, 2024

She played five total seasons of college basketball and was a difference-maker all five years.

Jackson started her college career at Mississippi State, playing three seasons with the Bulldogs. She led Mississippi State in scoring all three years, including as a freshman when she put up 15.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Jackson’s production dipped slightly to 14.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2020-21, before she bounced back with an incredible junior season, before entering the transfer portal.

During her final year at Mississippi State, Jackson led the SEC in scoring for the first time in her career, averaging 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. However, after 15 games that season, she decided to enter the portal.

Jackson spent the 2022-23 season at Tennessee and was a lethal scorer for the Vols. She averaged 19.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in only 28 minutes per night. She opted to use her COVID year and play in 2023-24 as she once again led the SEC in scoring.

Over the course of her college career, Jackson averaged 17.8 points per game across five seasons. She appeared in 127 games, making 106 starts.

Jackson, speaking with Holly Rowe of ESPN at the draft, gave a shout out to her family for helping her get to this point.

“My family is the reason why I’m here,” Jackson said. “I do everything for them. If it wasn’t for my brothers, I wouldn’t have even picked up a basketball. My mom instilled greatness and knowledge and always keeping God number one — that just really made me into the person I am today.”