Rickea Jackson explodes with energy and shoves $250,000 teammate after wild half-court splash

Second-year forward Rickea Jackson showed off her incredible range while the LA Sparks were practicing. Jackson and some of her teammates were at a shootaround in the Golden State Valkyries' home arena when Johnson went for a half-court heave, right from the logo.

The Sparks forward's attempt was right on the money, and she celebrated by walking right up to the camera and screaming, "Let's go!" Her teammate Rae Burrell, who was also practicing, inadvertently got in the way and was playfully shoved.

The camera's focus shifted to Burrell, who joked that she was just an innocent bystander.

Burrell later commented on the team's post on Instagram, where she doubled down on simply catching a stray from Jackson.

"Was just minding my business 😭😭😭," Burrell commented.

Rae Burrell's comment (Photo credits: @la_sparks on Instagram)

Both Rae Burrell and Rickea Jackson are parts of the LA Sparks' young core. The team chose Burrell ninth overall in the 2022 draft. She's entering the final year of her two-year, $250,000 contract, after which she becomes a restricted free agent.

Meanwhile, Jackson is one of two lottery picks made by the Sparks in 2024. One is Cameron Brink, who was taken with the second pick, while Jackson was taken fourth.

Also Read: Rickea Jackson excited by new opportunities tandem with Kelsey Plum will provide for LA Sparks

Rickea Jackson shares her thoughts on Cameron Brink's impending return

Rickea Jackson shared her excitement and thoughts coming into her sophomore season in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Mark Medina. One of the things they discussed was Cameron Brink's return.

Jackson expects good things from Brink when she returns to action, thanks to her basketball IQ and work ethic. She specifically shared her excitement considering what Brink can do on the defensive end.

"I'm excited for her to come back," Jackson told Medina. "I'll have my shot blocker. She'll smack it into the fifth row. To have that back will be amazing."

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Cameron Brink is expected to return to action some time in June. No date has been provided for her return yet, but she's expected to be on the court before the All-Star break.

Having both Brink and Rickea Jackson on the court makes the Sparks a multi-dimensional team. Brink is a staunch defender, averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.1 steals per game before an ACL tear cut her rookie season short.

Meanwhile, Jackson is an efficient scorer, putting up 13.4 points on 45.6/34.7/80.7% shooting splits through 40 games in her rookie season.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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Edited by Bhargav