The LA Sparks are having a horrid season. Occupying the bottom position with 7 losses on the trot and losing Cameron Brink earlier has made their campaign a struggle from the word go. Nonetheless, there was a silver lining in their previous fixture against table toppers Liberty, where Sparks’ other rookie, Rickea Jackson, stepped up. So much so that the 4th overall pick left WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes in awe.

So far this season, the 23-year-old is turning out to be an absolute delight for the Sparks fans. Establishing herself as a pure scorer, Jackson is averaging 15 points per game while shooting 50% or better from both the field and three-point range this past month. On top of that, she has also emerged as a consistent performer for the Sparks.

Seemingly, if she spends an average of 29 minutes on the hardwood, Jackson delivers approximately 18.1 points while being efficient in 53.8% of her field goals. Thus, she is the only rookie to consistently score over 15 points and shoot 50% or better. Weighing in on this, Swoopes commented, “She is the real deal! I love her game so much!”

Following her career-high of 25 points (60.0% shooting) against the Wings, another scintillating offensive play from Rickea Jackson was on display at the Crypto.com Arena. The 6 ft 2 forward registered 19 points while being 7 of 11 from the field and connecting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Consequently, Sheryl Swoopes expressed her experience of watching the rookie in action.

Although there was a peculiar piece of advice included as well in her post on X. Tagging Jackson, she wrote, “helluva game today, young lady! It was truly a pleasure to watch you play in person. So excited for what the future holds for you. You are going to be a problem in this league. BTW… if hooping don’t work out, you most definitely should be a model. Stunning!” 

However, Jackson is not the only player to receive some applause from the 3× WNBA MVP. Recently, Sheryl Swoopes spared a thought or two on an on-court incident in a game involving Fever and Sky. Anyhow, that managed to put her in a negative limelight again.

Sheryl Swoopes faces backlash from Caitlin Clark’s loyalists

The troubled equation between Caitlin Clark and Sheryl Swoopes has made several headlines in recent days. Another chapter in this alleged rivalry came to the surface after the Fever-Sky game concluded recently. Apparently, the 53-year-old couldn’t refrain from extending her thoughts on a flagrant foul committed on Caitlin Clark by Chicago’s guard Diamond DeShields.

Swoopes tweeted, “@diamonddoesit1 head up kid! Hate will not win!! You are covered and ain’t nothing these evil people can do about that. All love for you.” Soon after, supporters of Clark flooded the social media with their outrage. Swoopes having animosity against Clark was the narrative prevailing.

It is fairly difficult to convey what Sheryl Swoopes thinks of Caitlin Clark. Nonetheless, admiring the talents of rookies is an encouraging sign to see. Fans would hope that the same courtesy is extended to Clark in the upcoming future.

Stay tuned to this space for more such updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the Dual Threat Show. Our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection Asia Avinger.