As they say, timing is everything. And for Rickea Jackson, it seriously couldn’t have come at a better moment. After earning All-Rookie honors and a strong performance at Unrivaled, everyone expected her to take a leap in 2025. She was supposed to be the anchor. The first couple of months of the season were a disappointment, though. Between injuries, inconsistent play, and even whispers about her possibly leaving LA, things just weren’t clicking. 

But that version of Rickea is long gone. She snapped out of that slump right when the Sparks needed her most. Once again, her fearless decision-making made all the difference. In front of 16,024 fans packed into Barclays, it all came down to one final shot. With just five seconds left on the clock, the game was knotted at 99 after a chaotic fourth quarter. And then, Jackson decided it was her moment.

She attacked Stephanie Talbot head-on, absorbed the contact, and somehow floated in an acrobatic layup right at the buzzer. Game over. The Sparks walked it off, 101-99, handing the New York Liberty their first loss in six games and grabbing their own fifth straight win in the process. With this, Jackson, who finished with a team-high 24 points, may have officially turned her season around.

Now, it’s worth noting the Liberty were short-handed. Breanna Stewart exited the game just three and a half minutes in with an apparent lower leg injury. But the Libs didn’t back down. Despite the Sparks’ early momentum and a red-hot shooting start, the Liberty fought their way back.

Early on, both teams came out firing. Six different players knocked down threes as the game opened with a flurry of perimeter action. The Sparks eventually found their rhythm first, ripping off a 13-0 run to take a 15-point lead by the end of the first quarter. By halftime, L.A. had stretched the lead again, and it looked like they might run away with it.

But, again, New York isn’t one to go down without a fight. Behind the energy of the Barclays Center crowd and a fiery response from Sabrina Ionescu, who even picked up a tech after an illegal screen wiped away a big three, the Liberty started climbing back. Natasha Cloud added fuel, and suddenly, the Liberty were within five by the third. The Sparks pushed back, but the Liberty tied it up late in the fourth, setting the stage for Jackson’s final heroics.

Despite the loss, Ionescu and Cloud kept New York in it till the very end. For L.A., it was a full team effort. Dearica Hamby and Azurá Stevens both posted 17-point double-doubles, while Kelsey Plum added 20 points and eight assists. The Sparks also shot a scorching 66% from the field, compared to just 38% for the Liberty. Now, with this win, L.A. moves to 11-14 and jumps to 10th in the standings, inching closer to playoff territory. 

And with their full squad still on the horizon, this run might just be getting started.

Rickea Jackson’s rise and Brink’s return? Sparks eyeing full strength 

Things are finally starting to click for the Los Angeles Sparks, and they’re doing it with just one name still sitting on the injury list: Cameron Brink. That’s a pretty big deal considering how rocky the season started out. But now, with Rickea Jackson exploding and the squad on a five-game heater, it seems like help is really on the way.

Back in June 2024, Brink went down with a knee injury against the Connecticut Sun. She was carried off the court, and the next day, the team confirmed the worst: a torn ACL. That ended her rookie season and crushed her Olympic dreams, too. But Brink didn’t exactly disappear. She had an eventful offseason. And finally, there’s finally some real movement.

“I’m cleared. It’s just getting reps at this point. Just getting back up to speed with everybody,” Brink said ahead of Saturday’s game at Barclays. After being listed as “out” for months, she was upgraded to “doubtful” on the official injury report, which definitely excited the LA fandom. Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts confirmed she’s not suiting up just yet, but the return feels close.

And they’re going to need her. Even with the offense firing (third-highest scoring team in the league, thanks in large part to Kelsey Plum), the Sparks are still struggling with rebounds and turnovers. Brink’s presence in the paint could be exactly what they need to balance the floor.