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Rickea Jackson Making Claim For Second Best Rookie in 2024 WNBA Class

Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson is blossoming into a WNBA superstar while still remaining under the radar.

Grant Young

Jul 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) is defended by Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) is defended by Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Sky suffered a heartbreaking buzzer-beater defeat to A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Yet, Sky rookie sensation Angel Reese still finished the game with 11 points and 22 rebounds; marking her third consecutive game with 20 or more boards.

However, Reese didn't produce the best performance out of the WNBA's stacked rookie class on Sunday.

That distinction instead went to Los Angeles Sparks guard Rickea Jackson, who concluded the Sparks' 113-110 loss to the Dallas Wings with 25 points (on 6 made threes), 4 assists, and 3 blocks.

This is yet another great game in a string of sensational performances from the No. 4 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

While Jackson is averaging 12.4 points per game this season, she has averaged 16.2 in the month of August.

The eye test shows that the former Tennessee Volunteers standout is continuing to deepen her scoring arsenal, is steadily blossoming into an elite on-ball defender, and is adding other facets to her already well-rounded game.

Jackson doesn't get the same degree of attention as most other top members of this star-studded 2024 rookie class, which is likely due to her soft-spoken nature.

Yet, by the time Jackson's career is all said and done, she could be the second-best rookie to enter the league in 2024.

This is not a way of stating Jackson's case for 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year. Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark (most likely) has that award locked down. And if she doesn't, Chicago's record-setting rookie Angel Reese would be more deserving of ROTY than Jackson at this point.

But because Reese already had her extraordinary knack for rebounding — which has been her best feature this season — back at LSU, Jackson appears to be the most rapidly improving rookie outside of Clark.

Of course, there's also Jackson's fellow rookie teammate Cameron Brink, who was showing serious promise before tearing her ACL earlier this summer.

And while Jakcson was still trying to find her groove in the WNBA at the time Brink went down, she has major strides since that point.

What's for sure is that Los Angeles has a duo of two rookies they can construct their franchise's future around.

But Rickea Jackson might not just be the best Sparks rookie to emerge from the 2024 Draft. She might be the (second) best rookie overall.

Published
Grant Young

GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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