Rickea Jackson diary: This year taught me how strong I am mentally and physically

After the Los Angeles Sparks ended their season by missing the playoffs, forward Rickea Jackson shifted her focus from the court to the runway. She went to New York Fashion Week and attended shows by designers such as Sergio Hudson, Kim Shui, Jane Wade and LaQuan Smith. 

“I just feel like I’m in my element. All the compliments, all the networking, meeting these people – it’s been amazing,” Jackson told Andscape. “Just being where you want to be, being in these rooms, I feel like I work super hard to get here. I’m continuing to grow my brand.”

Jackson is using the offseason to explore her passions beyond basketball and to rest and recharge while preparing for her third year in the WNBA. While healing physically and mentally from the season are her top priorities, she also plans to be outside, citing Jamaica and the Dominican Republic as places she wants to visit. 

“Healing for me in this offseason is everything,” Jackson said. “I’m going on vacation multiple times [and] doing what I need to do for my mind, body and soul. Everything in my life has always been basketball … and rightfully so, like, that’s what got me here. But in order to be my best self, be the best player that I can be, I need to take a little bit of time away, have fun.”

Jackson describes her second season in the WNBA as “overcoming” and likened it to her rookie season after gaining a new coach and having to adjust to a new system. 

Early in the season, Jackson missed three games after suffering a concussion, then missed an additional two games after initially returning from the concussion. A leg injury sustained near the end of the season caused her to miss the Sparks’ final game.

“I played through a lot of hurt, mentally and physically. And at the end of the day, I stuck with it,” Jackson said. “We didn’t make it to the playoffs, didn’t come out on top necessarily, but in my book and what I was going through, I feel like I definitely overcame a lot.

“​​Looking back on this year, I feel like it taught me how strong I am mentally and physically and being able to push through the trials and tribulations, adversity, everything,” she continued. “And keeping a level head and knowing at the end of the day, like, it will get better. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”

Highlights of her season included a buzzer-beating, game-winning layup against the New York Liberty, a career-high 30-point outing against the Las Vegas Aces, and a career-high-tying six 3-pointers made against the Dallas Wings. Jackson also became the first player in the 2024 draft class to score 1,000 career points, and she increased her averages year over year in points per game, 3-point percentage, free throw percentage and assists per game.

She credits her growth in part to competing in the inaugural season of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league that brought together some of the top talent in the WNBA. Jackson, who played for Unrivaled’s Mist Basketball Club, used the opportunity to study WNBA championship-winning teammates Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Courtney Vandersloot. On Monday, Unrivaled announced that Jackson will return to play in its second season.

Facing elite competition in a fast-paced environment gave Jackson valuable reps and sharpened her confidence, she said. 

“It was so fun,” Jackson said. “Just being under one roof with all these great players, I feel like anybody will get better, whether it’s on the court, off the court, picking the brains of them, being in the same training room. I feel like it overall helps you as a hooper.”

Jackson said it’s meaningful for players to have the opportunities to stay in the United States to play basketball instead of having to go overseas to play during the offseason. 

“Not everyone is built for overseas,” Jackson said. “Not everyone wants to go overseas, like myself, so that was always going to be a non-negotiable for me. The bag [money] would have to be crazy for me to go overseas, and my whole family would have to come with me, too, [or] I wouldn’t survive.”

After finishing last season with a league-worst 8-32 record, the Sparks more than doubled their win total, earning a 21-23 record this season and finishing ninth in the league standings – one spot removed from the playoffs. During Jackson’s two seasons in the league, the Sparks haven’t earned a playoff berth, and she said the desire to do so is fueling her during the offseason.

“The hunger that I’m feeling right now is, I’m starving,” Jackson said. “The season can start back up tomorrow and I’m ready to go. So I feel like Year 3, it’s no games to be played. It’s none of that ‘I’ma chill,’ none of that. I’m tired of it. I feel like I always get the short end of the stick when it happens. … I just got to be the dog that I know that I am and come out with that confidence from the jump.”

Jackson said she wants to be more assertive going forward. She believes she has proven herself to be an elite scorer and now aims to build even more confidence, rebound more and take on greater responsibility next year. After several weeks of rest, once she ramps up her training, she plans to work on tightening her ball-handling skills, sharpening her defense and learning how to take more shots that fit into the Sparks’ system of 3-pointers and layups. 

“I can’t even lie, like, I’m hyped for the next season. … I already know what work I’m about to put in,” she said. “I’m already knowing what this team could be, so I’m excited for it. I can’t wait for it, honestly. So, yeah, everybody’s got to watch out.”

In the final episode of her season-long video diary on Andscape, Jackson talks about attending New York Fashion Week, discusses her offseason plans, reflects on the lessons she learned this season, and shares what to expect from her next season.