Rickea Jackson’s evolution from promising rookie to rising WNBA star was on full display Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The 24-year-old forward poured in 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, grabbed five rebounds, and added two assists in the Los Angeles Sparks’ 100–91 win over the Indiana Fever. It marked the fifth time in seven games that Jackson surpassed the 20-point mark, continuing one of the strongest scoring stretches of her young career.
“I just keep coming and coming and coming,” Jackson said. “We’re not putting our heads down. We’re not flinching anymore.”
Second-Year Leap Fueled by Confidence, Chemistry
Now in her second WNBA season, Jackson has become a cornerstone of a retooled Sparks roster. After averaging 13.4 points and earning All-Rookie Team honors in 2024, she’s stepped into a larger role under new head coach Lynne Roberts—averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists across 23 games.
RJ buckets on buckets.
25 PTS | 5 REB | 3-5 3PT pic.twitter.com/wu9OlblN6f
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) August 6, 2025
Tuesday’s performance was a continuation of that upward trajectory. She drilled a deep three to open the scoring, added five straight points in the first quarter, and racked up 10 more in the third—including a putback of her own miss and a dagger triple to halt Indiana’s momentum.
“[Rickea Jackson is] such a tough guard, and you can put somebody smaller on her to match her athleticism or speed, or you can put somebody bigger on her to match her size, and either way, she’s going to make you wrong,” Roberts said.
Learning from Plum, Leading with Swagger
Jackson credits much of her growth to the presence of veteran guard Kelsey Plum, who also scored 25 points and dished 11 assists Tuesday—her fifth consecutive game with at least 20 points and five assists, tying a WNBA record.
“KP is literally one of the most high-IQ players I’ve ever played with,” Jackson said of Plum. “The way she looks at the game—the things she tells me during games and in practice—has helped grow my game so much. But also, the confidence she instills in me every single game… she comes up to me and doesn’t know how much that means. As our leader, you want to make her proud. You want to put a smile on her face and get her going as well.”
Jackson’s improved three-point shooting, better shot selection, and ability to play through contact have helped her thrive next to Plum and Dearica Hamby, both of whom command attention in the paint.
“Rickea wasn’t doing anything other than what she normally does,” Plum said. “It’s funny, as a player, you’re competing. You make a tough bucket [and] you look at ’em like, you let him know, that she from Troy. So I was just proud of [Rickea].“
A Team Playing With Purpose
The Sparks shot 56.1% from the field and went 13-for-26 from three, becoming the first team in WNBA history to score 100 or more points in four of five games. Azurá Stevens was perfect from beyond the arc (5-for-5) and added 19 points. Hamby scored 16 and Cameron Brink matched her career high with five blocks in just 16 minutes.
But the night belonged to Jackson, whose steady emergence has helped fuel the Sparks’ playoff push. She’s averaging a staggering 18.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across her previous seven performances, proving instrumental in guiding Los Angeles.
Jackson’s scoring instincts, smooth athleticism, and expanding leadership have helped Los Angeles climb back into postseason contention, and her rising profile on and off the court is only adding to her momentum.
“I just feel like as a group, we’re just playing together,” Jackson said. “I feel like we’re very dangerous, and our momentum and our energy is really good right now. Like Coach [Lynne Roberts] said, we’re not flinching, so we just have that confidence in each other.”
What’s Next
Los Angeles (13–15) hosts the Connecticut Sun on Thursday before traveling to face the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday. The Sparks then return home Sunday to take on the Seattle Storm.
Jackson will have a chance to score at least 20 points for the third consecutive game, along with being the sixth time in eight games
