Is Rickea Jackson playing tonight against the Valkyries? Sparks star’s status explored amid injury crisis

LA Sparks hotshot Rickea Jackson has been ruled out of their second home clash of the WNBA season with the Golden State Valkyries on Friday. Jackson’s start to her sophomore season lasted a little more than two games after suffering an horror injury in an 89-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

The Sparks guard was in the starting five and played over 20 minutes, scoring eight points before colliding with Alanna Smith while chasing a loose ball and falling to the ground.

She received treatment on the floor for several minutes before being taken off in worrying scenes. The team followed up with an update later, stating that she’s been under concussion protocol with no clear timeline for her return.

The grim news comes as a severe blow to both head coach Lynne Roberts and the Sparks. Rickea Jackson had emerged as an exciting talent last season and was expected to play a major role this season.

Her absence is particularly impactful due to the critical role she plays beyond scoring, which saw her average 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists while playing all 40 games last season.

Now, with Rae Burrell and Cameron Brink already out and their returns a long way off, coach Roberts will have some tricky decisions to make regarding her team’s rotation.

The Sparks hold a 1-2 record to start the season, while their opponents, the Valkyries, are 1-1. This will be the second meeting between the two teams; the Sparks won the season opener 84-67.

Rickea Jackson’s mom shares deep sadness in first message after injury

Rickea Jackson’s mom shared her first message after the LA Sparks forward received treatment for minor facial injury and a concussion.

Jackson took to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, requesting that the media and fans keep her in their thoughts and prayers.

In her caption, she said:

"Please keep her in your prayers….please keep the health of all of the players in your prayers. What they do is not for the weak…"🙏🏽

Her message was met with an outpouring of love for Rickea from her fans, with many hoping she gets back to full fitness soon.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman