What Happened to Rickea Jackson vs Mercury? LA Sparks Star in Visible Pain as Teammates Rush to Help

A playoff spot is still within reach for the Los Angeles Sparks, sitting just one game under .500 ahead of Tuesday’s clash with the Phoenix Mercury. Phoenix enters as the road favorite, riding MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas’ huge season, while the Sparks are fighting to stay alive in the playoff race. But with Rickea Jackson now sidelined on the bench due to injury, the pressure on L.A. just got a whole lot heavier.

Late in the third quarter, things took a worrying turn for the Los Angeles Sparks. Rickea Jackson exited to the locker room after sustaining an apparent right ankle injury, with the Sparks trailing the Mercury 70-57 and 40.5 seconds left in the quarter. To make matters worse, WNBA insider Underdog WNBA reported on X, “Rickea Jackson (ankle) headed to locker room Tuesday,” instantly sparking concern among fans.

The incident happened when Rickea’s left ankle appeared to make contact with Satou Sabally, and she was clearly in pain right after. For a moment, it looked serious, leaving Sparks fans holding their breath over the rookie forward’s condition. Thankfully, Rickea managed to walk off the court on her own without any assistance — a small relief in an otherwise tense moment for L.A.

Rickea Jackson was cooking for the Sparks! Making her way back into the game with 5:51 left in the fourth quarter, she still managed to put together an impressive stat line — 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, going 4-of-7 from deep and a perfect 3-of-3 from the line. She also added three rebounds and an assist, though she didn’t score after checking back in. From the jump, Rickea was locked in offensively, knocking down big shots early, including two triples in the opening quarter, and becoming the first Spark in double figures with 10 points before the first period even ended.

Dearica Hamby had herself a night too, leading the Sparks with 25 points, eight rebounds, and five steals, setting the tone on both ends of the floor. Kelsey Plum added 20 points and four assists, getting on the board with a smooth layup in the first quarter. Rae Burrell sparked the late run and finished with nine points and four rebounds, while Cameron Brink chipped in four points, five boards, and a block in just 14 minutes. Azurá Stevens struggled offensively with only three points in what was a rare off night for her.

The Sparks started off slow, with both teams combining for just 13 points in the opening three minutes, but things picked up quickly after that. Dearica and Rickea led the early scoring push with six and five points respectively, while Satou Sabally was keeping Phoenix rolling with 10 points of her own in the first quarter. Los Angeles eventually tightened up defensively, forcing the Mercury into five turnovers, but they still trailed by six at the end of the first, shooting 35% from the field heading into the second period. Maybe if not for the injury, Sparks could’ve won?

Rickea Jackson’s clutch impact and injury concerns

Rickea Jackson has quietly become one of the Sparks’ biggest difference-makers, and her impact keeps showing up in the numbers. In last weekend’s matchup against the Dallas Wings, while Paige Bueckers’ record-breaking 44 points and Kelsey Plum’s late-game heroics stole the headlines, Rickea dropped 25 points on an absurd 6-of-7 shooting from three. That’s been the story of her season — when the Sparks need a bucket, she delivers. In games where Jackson scores 20 or more points, Los Angeles is undefeated at 8-0, and she’s also second in the league in first-quarter scoring at 5.8 points per period, just behind A’ja Wilson.

What makes Rickea’s role even more crucial is her ability to shine in close, high-pressure moments. She’s averaging 17.2 points per game in contests decided by fewer than 10 points, and the Sparks are 9-4 in those nail-biters. Whether it was her buzzer-beating layup to upset the Liberty in July or her clutch buckets to force double overtime against Seattle where she finished with 27 points on 11-of-23 shooting, Rickea has proven time and again that she’s the one the Sparks trust when everything’s on the line.

However, injuries have complicated her season. Back in May, Rickea collided with Alanna Smith while chasing a loose ball and stayed down for several minutes before walking off under her own power, never returning to that game. She later missed three games due to concussion protocol after an injury in the Sparks’ home opener against Minnesota on May 18, returning on May 27 under a minutes restriction. After that, she sat out two more games for “personal reasons,” according to head coach Lynne Roberts. Now, with another scare from her recent ankle collision, Sparks fans are anxiously waiting to see if their rising star will be ready for their next matchup against the Mystics on September 1.