What Is Rickea Jackson’s Ethnicity, Religion, and Nationality? LA Sparks Star’s Family Roots & Background

“I hit a rookie wall—it was a whirlwind, but it made me tougher mentally,” Rickea Jackson admitted on Locked On Women’s Basketball recently. That toughness showed when she shifted into overdrive after Cam Brink’s injury, posting a sizzling 54.7% true shooting while anchoring the 4 and splashing 50% from deep in August. Off the court, she stole the spotlight at the 2025 NFL Draft alongside boyfriend James Pearce Jr., proving she’s as much a star beyond the hardwood. But behind the viral highlights and rising WNBA stardom, fans still ask: Where is Rickea Jackson from? What’s her nationality? Let’s get into it.

Where is Rickea Jackson from? What’s her nationality?

Detroit might be known for producing tough hoopers, but Rickea Jackson’s journey to the WNBA wasn’t exactly out of a textbook. Born on March 16, 2001, in the Motor City, Jackson is proudly American—but growing up, basketball was the last thing on her mind. “I didn’t even like basketball,” she once told The Sporting Tribune, admitting she saw it as a “boy sport” and preferred ballet, cheerleading, and anything that didn’t involve sweating.

Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Rickea Jackson poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after she is selected with the number four overall pick to the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

She was content waving pom-poms from the sidelines—until her brothers pushed her buttons with a taunt: “You suck at basketball.” That flipped a switch. Jackson fired back, “I don’t play, but if I did, I’d be better than you!” The rest? WNBA history. She honed her game while rising to five-star recruit status, starred at Mississippi State and Tennessee, and became the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft by the LA Sparks.

While most of it was hard work, someof it was talent. Talent that she gained from her bloodline—her mom Caryn played at Kansas, her brother Rickey at Adrian College, and Jackson herself carries that family legacy wherever she goes, both on the court and in the community, where she once led the Brown Bag Project to feed the homeless.

What is Rickea Jackson’s ethnicity and religion?

Rickea Jackson proudly represents the African American community, bringing that patented Detroit swagger to every arena she steps into. While her ethnicity is well-known, Jackson has kept her personal faith and religious beliefs private, with no confirmed reports as of now.

Which high school did Rickea Jackson attend?

Before she was dazzling WNBA crowds, Jackson was rewriting record books at Detroit Edison Public School Academy (DEPSA). There, she didn’t just win—she dominated. Leading her squad to three straight Class C state championships, Jackson averaged 22 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior, snatching Michigan Miss Basketball honors, Gatorade Player of the Year (twice), and a spot in both the McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.

By the time she graduated, she was DEPSA’s all-time leading scorer with 1,771 points, earning a reputation as, in the words of Detroit Free Press legend Mick McCabe, “the greatest girls high school player in state history.” It’s no surprise then that the five-star recruit and ESPN’s No. 5 ranked player had her pick of powerhouse programs, ultimately choosing Mississippi State over the likes of South Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio State.

 

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