Former Lady Vols basketball star Rickea Jackson suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday. The third-year WNBA star was diagnosed with a torn ACL in her left knee after having an MRI. She will undergo surgery with a date not yet announced.
Jackson was in her first year with the Chicago Sky after being traded from the Los Angeles Sparks. Through four games before the injury, she was having a career year. This featured averages of 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per outing.
“We’re devastated that Rickea suffered this injury, but we are confident she will make a full recovery,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “Rickea was playing at an All-Star and All-Defensive level early in the season. We are certain she was primed for a career year. Our world-class medical staff will work hard with Rickea, who is one of the toughest players in the league, to get her back on the court.”
Rickea Jackson underwent an MRI that revealed a left torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), an injury she sustained in the May 17 game against Minnesota. Jackson will miss the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season and undergo surgery to repair the injury.
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Jackson played two seasons at Tennessee before going pro. In her final year, she averaged 20.2 points per game on 48.5% shooting from the field and 33.8% on threes. This went with 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The Lady Vols were eliminated by NC State on the road in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament that year, marking the end of the Kellie Harper Era.
In her first season with Tennessee, Jackson teamed up with Jordan Horston. That squad made a second-straight Sweet 16, but was eliminated by Virginia Tech in the round. Jackson averaged 19.2 points on 54.8% shooting from the field and 31.4% on threes with 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on the year.
Prior to her time on Rocky Top, Jackson played three seasons at Mississippi State. She was fourth overall by the Sparks in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
