Los Angeles Sparks rookie sensation Rickea Jackson is the latest addition to Unrivaled Basketball League, the new 3×3 basketball league that will take place in Miami during the WNBA offseason.
The league — launched by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart — will begin in January, run for 8 weeks, and be made up of six teams with five players each. Thirty of the top women’s basketball players in the world will participate — 18 of whom have now been announced.
Unrivaled provides an alternative for players who want to make supplementary income to their WNBA salary, but don’t want to go overseas. The league boasts a minimum salary of $150,000 per player, and all players in the inaugural class will have equity.
Rickea Jackson becomes second WNBA rookie to join Unrivaled
With Tuesday’s announcement, Rickea Jackson becomes the second rookie to publicly commit to playing in Unrivaled — Angel Reese was the first announcement.
“Being able to be in Miami from January to March, not having to go overseas,” Reese told reporters last month. “Nobody wants to go overseas. A lot of us never wanna have to go overseas, but some people do have to go overseas unfortunately, so being able to make six figures within three months, being able to be housed in Miami, just being able to get better.
Last month, Sparks head coach Curt Miller pointed out Jackson’s rising popularity in Los Angeles.
“She brings us a lot of buzz as part of this new generation of players,” Miller said. “And so she gets the loudest applause when we do the starting lineups out in LA. She’s really, really popular.”
In her rookie campaign, the fourth overall pick is averaging 12.6 points on 46.6% shooting. Of the three rookies averaging double-figure points — Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Jackson — Jackson has been the most efficient. She’s also shot 37.2% from three-point range.
“She is really, really special at the offensive end, and is only going to get better,” Miller said. “She now has the confidence, and she knows she has the green light to not hesitate. She’s in a groove right now shooting the three, and it’s really fun to see that just makes her even more dynamic. She’s going to be a special one, and we’re all seeing it — we’re all seeing the growth.”
There’s a long list of rookies who could also help drive interest in Unrivaled, but Collier has confirmed that so far, there are only four rookies in the inaugural class. Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin — both of whom have had top-selling jerseys so far this season — could be in the mix for those final spots, but neither has publicly committed to participating.
Updated list of WNBA stars participating in Unrivaled
With Jackson’s addition, 18 WNBA players have now committed to playing in Unrivaled this winter:
- Allisha Gray (Dream)
- Angel Reese (Sky)
- Arike Ogunbowale (Wings)
- Breanna Stewart (Liberty)
- Chelsea Gray (Aces)
- Dearica Hamby (Sparks)
- Jackie Young (Aces)
- Jewell Loyd (Storm)
- Kahleah Copper (Mercury)
- Kayla McBride (Lynx)
- Kelsey Plum (Aces)
- Marina Mabrey (Sun)
- Napheesa Collier (Lynx)
- Natasha Cloud (Mercury)
- Rhyne Howard (Dream)
- Rickea Jackson (Sparks)
- Satou Sabally (Wings)
- Skylar Diggins-Smith (Storm)
12 more players will be announced in the coming weeks.
