Between Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, Rickea Jackson, and Azurá Stevens, the Sparks were able to put together a productive and cohesive offense. They finished the 2025 season with the sixth-best offensive rating, outperforming playoff teams like Phoenix, Seattle, and Golden State.
What slowed the team down was its lack of success on the other end of the floor. The Sparks finished tenth in defensive rating. Only the Sun, Wings, and Sky were worse defensively. While having Cameron Brink and her rim protection for a full season will definitely help improve the team’s defense, other players will have to step up too.
One of those players is Rickea Jackson. Jackson is already a key contributor on the offensive end for the Sparks, but she also has the tools to become a real problem on the other end. Jackson is 6’2”, fast, and athletic. She is already a matchup nightmare for most players in the game. If she can take another step forward defensively, it would make her, and the Sparks, a more well-rounded threat. Fortunately, Unrivaled is the perfect stage for Jackson to improve defensively.
Unrivaled challenges players defensively
In a full-court three-on-three setting, players are challenged to do everything they can defensively. For one, with the increased spacing of the three-on-three setting, defenders are often on an island and have to be able to hold their own in one-on-one matchups. Moreover, the fast pace requires all players to defend well in transition and battle through mismatches.
Much like with the Sparks, Jackson has a prominent role on the Breeze. She is a starter next to Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga and tied with Bueckers for the most minutes per game over the first three games. Over the first three games, Jackson drew defensive assignments on Tiffany Hayes, Natasha Cloud, Kelsey Plum, Kelsey Mitchell, Saniya Rivers, Sonia Citron, Azurá Stevens, and Chelsea Gray. Those are not easy players to guard, and Jackson will have to face many more challenges throughout the season.
The Breeze will face the Vinyl next. Jackson will likely have to guard Rhyne Howard, Courtney Williams, Rae Burrell, and Erica Wheeler at different points of the game. After that, the Mist with Breanna Stewart, Allisha Gray, Veronica Burton, and Arike Ogunbowale is on the schedule.
Unrivaled is bound to challenge Jackson to improve defensively, and that will help the Sparks in their playoff chase. As soon as the Sparks traded their lottery pick for Kelsey Plum, it was clear that they wanted to make the playoffs soon. Missing out on the postseason in 2026 with a core of Plum, Hamby, Jackson, and Brink would be a significant failure.