New Chicago Sky forward Rickea Jackson spoke to the media after her team’s practice on Wednesday. Jackson addressed the trade that landed her in Chicago from Los Angeles.
When asked about playing for the Sky, the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft responded:
“I truly feel welcomed here, I feel seen from the beginning, and that’s just something that I’ve been missing in my career, just feeling wanted, feeling like you see me as I see myself.”
The LA Sparks traded Jackson roughly two weeks ago to the Sky for Ariel Atkins. Sparks GM Raegan Pebley said on Sunday that trading Jackson was “hard,” but the “end goal” of winning the championship prompted Pebley “to really work to just find where those fits were for us.”
Pebley was essentially saying Atkins, an elite defender and a veteran, was the right fit for the Sparks over Jackson.
Rickea Jackson said in the interview that the Sky are pushing her to be a scorer, which she said was “missing” in her career. Jackson couldn’t consistently get that role with the Sparks, who relied on Dearica Hamby to put up points. Last year, Kelsey Plum’s arrival took out even more opportunities for Jackson on offense.
The Sparks are also all-in to end a five-year playoff drought behind a veteran-laden core. Following the arrival of Nneka Ogwumike, another legitimate scorer, the addition of Atkins will only boost the team’s experience and defense.
Rickea Jackson Joins Another Former Sparks Star in Chicago
Rickea Jackson isn’t the only former LA Sparks star who joined the Chicago Sky. Center Azura Stevens joined Jackson on the Eastern Conference team via free agency.
Last season, Jackson averaged 14.7 points and 1.7 assists per game, both career-high numbers. She shot 42.4%, including 34.8% from behind the arc.
Stevens, who finished second in the Most Improved Player of the Year race, was outstanding for the Sparks. She posted 12.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.2 spg, also career-best numbers.
Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens are projected to be part of Tyler Marsh’s starting unit that will also include holdovers Rachel Banham and Kamilla Cardoso. Seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins, who also signed via free agency, completes the quintet.
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