After word leaked earlier this week that a deal could be on the table, the Chicago Sky are indeed adding rising star forward Rickea Jackson through a sign-and-trade for Ariel Atkins, per Alexa Philippou of ESPN. It’s unclear if any draft equity or other players are included in the deal.
In 38 healthy games for the Sparks last season, Jackson notched averages of 14.7 points while slashing .424/.348/.847, 3.2 boards, 1.7 dishes and 0.6 swipes.
Despite fielding a talented roster comprising multi-time All-Star veterans Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby plus young standouts Jackson and Cameron Brink, Los Angeles finished 2025 as the WNBA’s No. 9 seed, missing the playoffs with a 21-23 record. Now, the Sky are bringing in some role player guard help to fit with their revamped core of Nneka Ogwumike, Plum, Hamby and Brink.
Chicago is attempting to recover from its bizarre decision to flip two-time All-Star power forward Angel Reese, the best rebounder in the league, to the Atlanta Dream for a shockingly underwhelming return package. Atlanta, which figures to contend for a top playoff seed now, sent back first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. The Sky also shipped out a second-round swap option to complete the deal.
Can Rickea Jackson Save the Sky?
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesChicago opted to break up its star frontcourt tandem of Reese and center Kamilla Cardoso by trading the more beloved and popular player, after Reese had expressed frustration with the Sky’s direction last season.
The club also offloaded its own future first-round pick in what should be a deep 2026 WNBA Draft next week (the Sky would have picked No. 2) in exchange for the draft rights to point guard Hailey Van Lith, Reese’s former LSU champion teammate who finished her collegiate career at TCU. The No. 11 pick in 2025 had a miserable debut season, and is looking like a career backup at best.
Now, the team is hoping that (a) Jackson’s more well-rounded offense can help galvanize its roster, and (b) the absence of Reese will open up the post for Cardoso.
Rickea Jackson smooth jumper #unrivaled pic.twitter.com/1pfZHnf6KN
— Danielle Hobeika (@DanielleHobeika) February 22, 2026Jackson is a versatile scorer — a veritable bucket all over the floor.
At 6-foot-2, she also has the size to body up smaller opponents when scoring inside or competing for rebounds. Jackson does have All-Star upside, although her streaky shooting has prevented her from achieving that just yet. Next to fellow newcomer Skylar Diggins, she’ll instantly become Chicago’s No. 2 scoring option, so maybe she’ll get there this year.
Losing Angel Reese may have been deeply frustrating for the Chicago faithful, but retooling with Jackson is a great pivot. With a flood of veterans still available in free agency and the rights to the No. 5 pick in the draft (via the Connecticut Sun), things could be looking fairly bright for the Sky sooner rather than later.
What the Sparks are Gaining in Ariel Atkins
© Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesAtkins will be a solid 3-and-D fit for a Los Angeles squad that appears to be hellbent on winning right now. She does not have the long-term upside that Jackson possesses, but as a proven commodity in her prime could still be a helpful role player on a veteran team striving to compete.
The 29-year-old was a five-time All-Defensive Teamer and a two-time All-Star while with the Washington Mystics.
Chicago obtained Atkins in exchange for the rights to the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (eventually used on instant rookie All-Star Sonia Citron), a 2027 first-round pick swap, and the Sky’s 2027 second-rounder. That’s a hefty price to pay for someone who’s out the door just a year later.
Losing out on a young star under team control in Citron clearly hurt, to the point where the team is now trading for the possibility of an All-Star on a rookie-scale deal in Jackson.
Across 34 contests for the 10-34 Sky last year (28 starts), Atkins averaged 13.1 points on .444/.361/.860 shooting splits, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks a night.
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