Rickea Jackson, the star forward of the Tennessee Lady Vols and a finalist for the Cheryl Miller award, made a huge announcement on the radio show, “The Sports Animal,” today that she is staying with Tennessee and not entering this year’s WNBA Draft. Jackson currently leads the team in scoring at 19.6 points while shooting an astounding 55% from the field.
Jackson’s decision is huge news—most WNBA projections had her as a top-3 draft pick this year.. The 6-foot-2 forward has been unguardable this year with many all-world, virtuoso performances.
Jackson, who leads the team in scoring, recently set a monumental record by being the first Lady Vol in 20 years to score 20+ points in eight consecutive games. That’s a feat that even Candace Parker did not accomplish.
The news just keeps getting better and better for Tennessee. First, Tamari Key announced that she would return next year, then the Lady Vols found out on Sunday that they earned a No. 4 seed and will host.
And if things could get any better for the Lady Vols, Jackson has now decided to come back, thus making Tennessee a force to be reckoned with for the 2023-24 season.
Why did Rickea Jackson decide to stay at Tennessee?
Simple answer: Jackson’s happy.
If anyone has followed her career at Mississippi State, you know she’s been through a lot, most notably, coaching changes. She signed with the Bulldogs in 2019 to play for Vic Schafer (now the head coach at Texas). Then after Schaefer left, Nikki McCray-Penson was hired by Mississippi State.
Jackson is winning, playing in meaningful games, and will get a chance to experience the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Can you imagine the excitement that fans will show her on Saturday? Thompson-Boiling is going to be rocking!
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