Former Lady Vols star suffers brutal injury just as the WNBA season was getting underway
Former Lady Vols standout Rickea Jackson suffered a brutal season-ending injury just as the 2026 WNBA season was getting underway. The former Tennessee standout was a first round pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Former Lady Vols star forward Rickea Jackson suffered a brutal season-ending injury this week.
The Chicago Sky announced on Tuesday that Jackson tore her ACL and will miss the rest of the season (the WNBA season just got underway on May 8).
“We’re devastated that Rickea suffered this injury, but we are confident she will make a full recovery,” said Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca in a statement. “Rickea was playing at an All Star and All-Defensive level early in the season. We are certain she was primed for a career year. Our world-class medical staff will work hard with Rickea, who is one of the toughest players in the league, to get her back on the court.”
Jackson, who started her career at Mississippi State before transferring to Tennessee in 2022, suffered the injury on Sunday in a win over the Minnesota Lynx.
Rickea Jackson was off to a quick start this season
The injury is especially tough for Jackson because she was off to a terrific start this season, averaging a career high 18.0 points per game through the first four games of the year. Her best game came on May 15 when she scored 29 points and blocked three shots in a loss to the Phoenix Mercury.
Jackson spent the first two seasons of her pro career with the Los Angeles Sparks. The former Lady Vols standout was traded to Chicago earlier this spring. Jackson signed an extension with Chicago as part of the sign-and-trade deal.