Tennessee star Rickea Jackson returning to school: What it means for the next 2 WNBA Drafts
The Athletic Staff, Ben Pickman.
Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson is opting to stay in school for another season rather than declare for this year’s WNBA Draft, she announced Monday.
Jackson was projected to be picked at No. 4 in The Athletic’s latest mock draft.
Jackson is averaging 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 32 games (21 starts) for the Volunteers in her senior season. She spent the first three years of her college career at Mississippi State.
Tennessee lost to South Carolina in the SEC championship Sunday.
Jackson put up 17 points in the 74-58 loss.
The Lady Vols, a No. 4 seed, will play No. 13 Saint Louis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
What Jackson said
“I have been so happy during my time on Rocky Top. I am so grateful for my teammates and coaches and the endless bonds that I’ve created being here,” Jackson wrote in a statement. “I appreciate all the support from our amazing fans for making this transition to the University of Tennessee so worth it. But we are not done yet.”
Backstory
Tennessee earned its 41st straight NCAA Tournament berth this season as the No. 4 seed in the Seattle 3 region and will be a host for the first and second rounds.
Jackson’s season has included getting suspended and coming off the bench despite being better than everyone in the Tennessee starting lineup.
But the drama with the Lady Vols shouldn’t detract from the fact that Jackson has been very productive, shooting 55.2 percent from the field. She’s excellent at attacking the basket and drawing fouls, and she has improved her free-throw shooting every season.
This year’s Tennessee team is the first good team Jackson has played on in her college career, and the impact of the environment has been dramatic.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What does this mean for Tennessee?
Jackson’s decision to return for a second season in Knoxville will heighten expectations for what next year’s Lady Vols group can accomplish.
Already a versatile player who was set to be among the most athletic and skilled WNBA rookies had she turned pro, Jackson will now get the chance to play a full season alongside star UT center Tamari Key, who had been sidelined since December due to blood clots in her lungs but who had already announced that she will return to the program next year. The Lady Vols have not made a Final Four since 2008, when Candace Parker was still in school. Having Jackson and Key back provides them a potential core who could snap that streak. — Pickman
What does this mean for the 2023 WNBA Draft?
There were already questions about how many impact players were in the upcoming WNBA Draft class. Without Jackson, there is even more uncertainty about who might be a top-five selection. Assuming she declares, Aliyah Boston seems all but guaranteed to be the No. 1 pick. Maryland guard Diamond Miller seems like a likely choice at No. 2. But who goes No. 3 is up in the air. Jackson could have been a fit with the Wings, who hold the third pick. But now Dallas, and the rest of the league, will have to look elsewhere for highly skilled prospects. — Pickman
What it means for the 2024 draft
One interesting effect of Jackson’s decision to return to school is that she could go from being a possible No. 3 pick in the WNBA Draft to being a mid-to-late first-round pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Next year’s class is already regarded as one of the best in recent memory with players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cam Brink, Aaliyah Edwards and Paige Bueckers all potentially being part of it.
Jackson will, of course, now have another season to show WNBA front offices why she is worth a selection above the names in that aforementioned group, but there’s no guarantee she leapfrogs any of them. From a WNBA front office perspective, it continues to make holding draft picks in 2024 even more valuable. — Pickman
Required reading
2023 Women’s March Madness: South Carolina, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Stanford earn top seeds
WNBA Mock Draft: Aliyah Boston leads class, but Diamond Miller looks like a strong No. 2 pick