In Photos: Rickea Jackson cuts a pretty figure in Unrivaled Mist Basketball team photoshoot

Los Angeles Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson showed a sneak-peak into her photoshoot for Unrivaled basketball league's Mist jersey.

In Photos: Rickea Jackson cuts a pretty figure in Unrivaled Mist Basketball team photoshoot

Rickea Jackson stuns in new photoshoot for Unrivaled

Former Lady Vols standout Rickea Jackson is gearing up for her role in the newly launched Unrivaled 3×3 basketball league. Ahead of the league’s inaugural season, Jackson, the Los Angeles Sparks standout rookie and a member of the freshly formed Unrivaled Mist team, shared behind-the-scenes photos from the team’s first photoshoot.

In a post from her X (formerly Twitter) account, Rickea Jackson showed glimpses of what the upcoming season’s jerseys would look like. Dressed in the Mist’s light blue jersey, Jackson posed confidently against a studio green screen, with her stunning look stealing the show. Her BTS photos gave fans a sneak peek into what promises to be an exciting season.

The shoot comes on the heels of a challenging rookie season for Jackson with the Los Angeles Sparks. Despite earning a spot on the 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Team, her team struggled, finishing 12th in the league. Rickea Jackson, however, averaged an impressive 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists across 40 games.

Now, she’s set to shine in the debut season of Unrivaled. The groundbreaking league was created as a means to offer elite players a chance to compete stateside during the WNBA offseason, albeit in the 3×3 format. Founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the league provides an alternative to the traditional path of playing overseas during the offseason.

Unrivaled League gears up for opening day

With less than two weeks to go before its debut on January 17, Unrivaled has unveiled jerseys for all six teams, including Mist BC, Vinyl BC, Lunar Owls BC, Rose BC, Phantom BC, and Laces BC. A promotional video released by the league showed star players like Stewart, Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu, and Brittney Griner reacting to their team jerseys for the first time.

The Mist roster, in particular, looks incredibly formidable, with a slew of stars from across the WNBA littered into their six-woman squad. The star-studded lineup features Breanna Stewart, Jewel Lloyd, Courtney Vandersloot, Aaliyah Boston, and Rickea Jackson. Renowned coach Phil Handy will lead the team in its quest for the inaugural Unrivaled championship.

The Unrivaled League will introduce a fresh format, with games played on a compressed full-court (70X50 feet) and consisting of four seven-minute quarters according to the league’s parameters. The top four teams in the standings will advance to the playoff semifinals in March, culminating in a championship game on March 17. Matches will be held at a soundstage in Miami, creating a high-energy environment for players and fans alike.

Even though the league was unable to land their primary targets in Caitlin Clark and reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, it will still feature a slew of stars, Rickea Jackson being prime amongst the many other budding stars and established superstars. Stay tuned and keep an eye out because something revolutionary could be brewing on the horizon.