One for all, all for one. That is the philosophy successful teams live by. When Cameron Brink suffered an ACL tear on June 18 during the game against the Connecticut Sun, the Los Angeles Sparks world came to a standstill. Brink was touted as the next big thing and was performing exceptionally well. In such hard times, the Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson stepped up her ante to compensate for Brink’s absence. And she surely seems to have succeeded. Jackson who is following the legacy of Candace Parker in propelling her team to new heights, on Sunday gave her thought processes on the same.

Jackson was present during an interview with NBA TV’s Nabil Karim when he asked Jackson about what it meant to follow Parker’s footsteps. Jackson’s answer gave an insight into how charged up she was on getting the golden opportunity.

Rickea Jackson loves to be a part of Candace Parker’s ex-team

Jackson gave her side of the story of how exciting the opportunity was to be a part of such a legendary team and also gave out Parker’s advice for budding talents. 

“It means a lot to be in a conversations of such a great basketball player like that… Also a great person. You know she would come into some of our practices and just sit all casually and I’m just looking like this is crazy…I truly like look up to her game, how she’s tall but she can do everything on a court. She just always says stay true to you. Make sure you’re doing the little things – eating right and taking care of your body. Those are the things that’s going to have you longevity in this league,” Jackson stated, via The Official Page of Los Angeles Sparks.

Jackson was drafted as the fourth overall pick in this WNBA. The rookie has since then been waiting to prove her on-court mettle. Her wishes materialized in some way when Brink sustained an ACL tear in mid-June during a loss against the Connecticut Sun. Since then Jackson has taken the onus of uplifting her team and she has been performing exceptionally well. 

Meanwhile, Parker was the first overall pick in the WNBA 2008 draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She stayed with the team for 13 seasons till 2021. With the Aces, Parker averaged a brilliant 16 points per game with 8.5 rebounds. The 3x WNBA Champion also won the title in 2016 with them. Hence, it isn’t easy stepping into Parker’s shoes but Jackson has so far done quite well.

Jackson averages 9.8 points per game, occupying third place in the WNBA rookie rankings in points. She is 6th in rebounds with 3.3 rebounds per game and 7th in minutes played, thus adjusting well to the demands of the WNBA. Previously too, Jackson had answered on what it takes to be entrusted with so many responsibilities. 

Rickea Jackson is all love for Candace Parker

Jackson was asked about being compared to Parker and the 23-year-old was thankful that her name was being taken in the same breath as that of Parker. She further acknowledged that Parker was a great player and also mentioned how versatile she was. Despite being tall, Parker had very few limitations and all this had an impact on Jackson who looks up to Parker.

“So, you know being able to go in her footsteps I feel like I’m just honored and you know, she just retired and she’s just one of the greats and I’m just like in awe of her honestly,” Jackson had mentioned then.

Perhaps, it is this dedication that has helped Jackson cover ground despite being a rookie. And hopefully, for her fans, she will continue to dominate the charts in the absence of Brink.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.