Rickea Jackson excited by new opportunities tandem with Kelsey Plum will provide for LA Sparks

Rickea Jackson, the fourth pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, impressed in her rookie season. She made the WNBA All-Rookie Team and showed great potential as an offensive player. With one year of experience and Kelsey Plum as her new teammate, Jackson has something bigger to look forward to in her second year.

On Tuesday, Jackson spoke with The Sporting Tribune (TST) and was asked about sharing the floor with an elite veteran like Plum. The Sparks forward said that she was excited to play with the two-time WNBA champion.

Heaping praise on her new teammate's basketball IQ, Jackson also revealed the special message that Plum gave her after the practice, which would elevate her game.

"I'm so excited to play with her," Jackson said. "If anything, she was saying it takes pressure off me. She was like, 'Girl, I'm gonna get you so many threes!' Her ability to want to help us… she has such a smart basketball mind. So to be able to play with a high-IQ vet like this, I feel like it’s only going to help my game. She's amazing. I love her."

Plum's acquisition could be crucial for the Sparks this season. They now have a veteran who can control the game and score at will. With more team dropping their names in legitimate title contention, the Sparks could bring a big surprise.

Rickea Jackson comments on Sparks' struggles last season

The LA Sparks finished at the bottom of the standings last season. They were the worst team in the league, with just eight wins in 40 games. As a rookie, the losses took a big toll on Rickea Jackson.

When asked how the losses impacted her, Jackson told TST her desire to win as many games and that losses had taken a mental toll on her. However, she slowly learned to accept the losses and use them to get better.

"I'm not gonna lie. In the beginning, it took a mental toll on me in a sense of I want to win," Jackson said. "But as I went on, I just kind of accepted things for what they are but of course, we’re still trying to win. But you know not letting the wins consume my day, consume my mood. So all in all, I just do what I can do and got better. And I just took it like that."

In her rookie season, Rickea Jackson averaged 13.4 points and 3.9 rebounds. With an improved roster under new coach Lynne Roberts, the Sparks will have high hopes for Jackson.