The final domino in the Sky’s plan to overhaul their roster has fallen. After coring Ariel Atkins, they traded her to the Sparks for forward Rickea Jackson.
“It’s thrilling to acquire one of the great young talents in this league in Jackson,” general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement. “Rickea is only going to continue to ascend, and the organization is excited to witness that growth firsthand.”
Jackson averaged 14.7 points per game for the Sparks last season. The 25-year old brings scoring punch and is another young building block to pair with center Kamilla Cardoso.
A starting lineup could now include Jackson, Cardoso, Skylar Diggins, and Azurá Stevens. The Sky also traded for point guard Jacy Sheldon and resigned Elizabeth Williams and Rachel Banham. That’s enough talent to make a playoff run.
If the Sky are successful this season and Jackson keeps getting better, this trade could help vindicate Pagliocca’s riskiest move to date. To get Atkins, he traded away the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, which became Sonia Citron, as well as the right to swap picks in 2027.
That deal looked hairy last season. Citron became an All-Star in her rookie year, while Atkins never fully adapted to her new role as primary scorer. The Mystics also finished ahead of the Sky in the standings, putting the 2027 swap in jeopardy.
Now the sum total of Pagliocca’s moves this offseason make the Sky look more formidable than the Mystics, at least in the short-term. Plus, a Jackson-Cardoso frontcourt might be a better long-term combination than Cardoso and Angel Reese.
That’s the upshot. The downside is losing Atkins. She’s an elite defender, a veteran leader, and a two-time All-Star, all things the Sky will miss. Entering her third WNBA season, Jackson still has a lot to prove.
So do the Sky.
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