Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Sparks Make Big Announcement Before Game vs. Dream

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated May 27, 2025 9:55 PM ET

Kelsey Plum and the Los Angeles Sparks will be looking to make it two straight wins on Tuesday when they host the Atlanta Dream at Crypto.com Arena.

The good news for the Sparks is they got a big boost ahead of their sixth game of the season. This comes in the form of highly touted rookie Rickea Jackson making her return to the court after a three-game absence.

Sparks head coach Lynn Roberts announced before tip-off that Jackson has been cleared to play on Tuesday after being placed in the league's concussion protocol. Jackson suffered a head injury in the Sparks' 89-75 loss against the Minnesota Lynx on May 18, and the No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft was forced to sit out the next three games.

Rickea Jackson and Julie Allemand have been upgraded to available for tonight’s game.

5/27/25 Updated Game Statuses vs. Atlanta Dream:

#2 – Rickea Jackson – AVAILABLE – Concussion Protocol
#12 – Rae Burrell – OUT – Right Knee
#20 – Julie Allemand – AVAILABLE – Left Hand
#22 -…
— LA Sparks PR (@LASparksPR) May 28, 2025

It is worth noting, however, that Jackson will come off the bench in Tuesday's game. Roberts also said that the former Mississippi State and Tennessee star will be on a minutes limit in her return to action.

Jackson started for the Sparks in her first two appearances, averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 triples in 29.0 minutes of action. She went through a road bump to start her rookie campaign, and the 6-foot-2 forward will now be looking to make up for lost time starting in Tuesday's matchup against Atlanta.

The Dream, on the other hand, are hoping to improve on their 3-2 record. They will need to try and do so without star center Brittney Griner, who has been ruled out for a second straight game due to a knee injury.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: