Is Rickea Jackson going to the WNBA? Exploring Tennessee forward's draft eligibility in 2024 

Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson will bring her talents to the WNBA after an eventful two seasons with the Lady Volunteers.

The 6-foot-2 Jackson declared her intention to join the 2024 WNBA draft after guiding the Lady Volunteers to a 20-13 record and a second-round stint in the NCAA women's basketball tournament.

The Detroit native is eligible to sign up for the draft as she has played five seasons with Mississippi State and Tennessee. Jackson spent her first three years with Mississippi State before transferring to Tennessee in 2022. She was a four-time All-America honorable mention selection, a three-time All-SEC performer and a two-time Cheryl Miller Award finalist.

According to a press release by University of Tennessee Sports, Jackson, who finished the season as SEC's top scorer at 20.2 points per game, would become the 46th Lady Volunteer to be picked in the WNBA draft and 44th in drafts featuring collegiate players.

The 23-year-old also averaged a team-high 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per outing while shooting 48.5% from the field and 78.0% from the free-throw area.

In her two seasons with the Lady Vols, Jackson tallied 19.6 ppg, which is fourth best in team history behind Chamique Holdsclaw (20.4) and ahead of Candace Parker (19.4).

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Rickea Jackson projected as a first-round pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Rickea Jackson drives to the basket during Tennesse's game against Alabama.

Rickea Jackson is expected to be a first-round selection in this year's WNBA draft, as she is a highly-touted prospect who could instantly become a team's top contributor in her first season in the league.

Mock drafts project Jackson to go as high as No. 3 and as low as No. 7. The Chicago Sky hold the No. 3 pick in the draft followed by the Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx.

Indiana Fever holds the top pick in this year's draft while the Los Angeles Sparks will select second.

The coverage of the WNBA draft will be aired on ESPN beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announcing the draft picks live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. It will be the first time since 2016 that the draft will be a seated event with fans in attendance.

Aside from Jackson, this year's draft features Iowa star guard Caitlin Clark, Stanford small forward Cameron Brink, South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso and LSU power forward Angel Reese. The five players are among the 15 invited to attend the annual event.

As per a WNBA press release, the players invited include the likes of guard Marquesha Davis (Mississippi), forward Aaliyah Edwards (Connecticut), guard Dyaisha Fair (Syracuse), center Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech) and guard Nika Muhl (Connecticut) to name a few.

Which team will likely pick Rickea Jackson in the WNBA draft? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.