5 reasons why Rickea Jackson's WNBA stock keeps rising (including praise from Dawn Staley!)

In just two seasons, transfer forward Rickea Jackson has cemented her status as the life and soul of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers women’s basketball team. Her combination of size, skill and off-the-court intangibles are why South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and women’s hoops fans think she could be a top draft pick.

It’s nearly a foregone conclusion that Caitlin Clark will go No.1 overall to the Indiana Fever, but what happens after that is anyone’s guess. With Paige Bueckers returning to UConn, the draft board could go in several directions, including creating a path for Rickea Jackson to be a top-five draft pick. As Dawn Staley mentioned on February 15, following South Carolina’s win over Tennessee, there’s no doubt in her mind that Jackson will go very high.

"Top pick in the WNBA Draft without a doubt," Staley said. "This year really helped her on both sides of the basketball. She's defending a lot more. She's rebounding. I mean, she can score at will, however you want it. She can score, and she did that to us."

Here are 5 reasons why Rickea Jackson’s WNBA stock continues to rise: