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Dec 7, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson watches a free throw game during the game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Louisville Cardinals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

'I Definitely Don’t Take It Lightly': Rickea Jackson Acknowledges Comparisons To Candace Parker’s Basketball Journey

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Sabel Reyes | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 10:13 AM ET

Los Angeles Sparks Rickea Jackson had a heartfelt message for former Sparks legend Candace Parker, who she credited or major contributions to women’s basketball.

In an interview with Sportkeeda, Rickea Jackson talked about Candace Parker and her legacy to the Sparks and to women’s basketball in general. This is in light of the Sparks retiring her jersey later this year.

“I’m so happy and excited for her.” Jackson said. “This is something that she deserves. She put being a versatile and tall guard on the map. She made it cool for people that would probably consider themselves post players also to be big guards.”

“That puts confidence in people like myself and other people that are taller that have those guard skills. I admire her work.”

Candace Parker spent 13 remarkable seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks. Drafted as the first overall pick in 2008, Parker made an immediate impact, winning the WNBA MVP award as a rookie—a feat no other player has achieved. During her tenure with the Sparks, she earned two MVP awards, five All-Star selections, and led the team to a championship in 2016.

This year, the Sparks will honor Parker by retiring her No. 3 jersey on June 29 during their game against the Chicago Sky at Crypto.com Arena. Parker will become only the third player in Sparks history to have her jersey retired, joining Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler. The ceremony will feature a halftime tribute, including appearances from former teammates, coaches, and special guests, as well as a video montage celebrating her illustrious career.

Rickea Jackson on How Unrivaled Developed Her Defensively

In an interview with Sportskeeda, Rickea Jackson talked about how playing for Unrivaled, which is a 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, helped develop her defensive skills.

“I love having help defenders in 5-on-5,” Jackson said. “That was the biggest thing. But just growing on the court, I felt like I got more confident being more at the guard spot. I was at the 4 spot. And then halfway through the season, I got placed at the 3 position.”

“So I felt like I was developing more guard skills and developing more confidence at the 3. I was defending better one-on-one,” she added. “I feel like all of those things will translate to the W, which I’m excited for. But I feel like it overall helped my game.”

Jan 17, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Rickea Jackson (5) of the Mist drives to the basket past Courtney Williams (10) of the Lunar Owls during the second half of the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league at Wayfair Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

During her stint on Unrivaled, Rickea Jackson has averaged 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 42.5% from the field and 34.0% from three-point range.

Sep 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) is defended by Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (5) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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