Former Lady Vols basketball star Rickea Jackson called game for the LA Sparks with a buzzer-beater on Saturday.
Jackson, a second-year standout in the WNBA out of Tennessee, broke a tie as time expired to push the Sparks to a 101-99 win. Her game-winning shot came on a post-up through contact that somehow found the bottom of the net.
This marked the 24th point of the game for Jackson. She finished with these 24 points on an efficient 9-for-15 shooting from the field and 4-for-6 on 3-pointers. She also produced three rebounds, two assists and a steal.
RICKEA JACKSON FOR THE WIN!!! @iamthathooper x @WNBA pic.twitter.com/5PBWX8XHuT
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) July 27, 2025
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On the year, Jackson is averaging 13.1 points per game on 41.6% shooting. She also contributes three rebounds and 2.1 assists per outing. As a rookie, Jackson posted 13.4 points per game on 45.6% shooting with 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. She was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team for her efforts.
Jackson spent two seasons at Tennessee before entering her name into the draft. In her final season in Knoxville, she averaged a staggering 20.2 points per game on 48.5% shooting from the field. She was named an All-American Honorable Mention and All-SEC First-Team member. After this final season, she was picked No. 4 overall by Los Angeles.
This season was wrapped up on the road in the Round of 32 in a loss to NC State as a 5-seed. It marked the final season of Kellie Harper’s tenure as head coach.
Her first year with the Lady Vols, Jackson averaged 19.2 points per game on 54.8% shooting from the field. This team made it to the Sweet 16 as a 4-seed. The season was finalized after a loss to Virginia Tech.
Prior to her time at Tennessee, Jackson spent three seasons at Mississippi State. Prior to college, she was a five-star recruit out of Detroit, Michigan.
