Social media was buzzing after Rickea Jackson was seen with James Pearce Jr. at the 2025 NFL Draft. Pearce was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 26 pick as his family celebrated in their home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Some fans noticed that he was sitting with Jackson, who broke her silence on the dating speculation.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jackson responded to all the buzz around her being with Pearce for one of the most important moments of his life. The LA Sparks star nonchalantly and jokingly denied that it was her with the edge rusher prospect.
“Soooo I have a doppelganger. Wow,” Jackson tweeted.
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According to the New York Post, there have been rumors before that linked Rickea Jackson to James Pearce Jr. It was the first time they were seen together in a public setting, possibly confirming their relationship. They follow each other on Instagram and both went to the University of Tennessee.
Jackson transferred from Mississippi State to Tennessee in 2022, playing for the Volunteers for two seasons. She was selected fourth overall by the LA Sparks in last year’s WNBA Draft, averaging 13.4 points per game as a rookie. She was selected for the WNBA All-Rookie Team for her efforts.
In the offseason, Jackson signed to play for Unrivaled and was drafted by Mist BC. However, they failed to make it to the single-elimination playoff tournament after finishing the regular season with a record of 5-9. They had the same record as Vinyl BC, but they lost the tiebreaker.
Meanwhile, Pearce spent three seasons at Tennessee before entering the 2025 NFL Draft. He was ranked the third-best edge rusher in the class behind Penn State’s Abdul Carter and Marshall’s Mike Carter, as per CBS Sports.
Rickea Jackson not looking forward to facing Seattle Storm rookie
LA Sparks star Rickea Jackson has a good sense of humor, which is one of the reasons she has built a fanbase on social media. Just like many WNBA fans earlier this month, she tuned in to the 2025 draft that was headlined by Paige Bueckers.
However, Jackson took notice of the No. 2 pick, Dominique Malonga of the Seattle Storm. Malonga is known for her height, footwork and athleticism, making dunks look easy, which is why Jackson doesn’t want to make history next season.
“Lord please don’t let me be the first WNBA player to get dunked on,” Jackson tweeted.
The Sparks and Storm are set to face each other four times next season, so Jackson has four games to avoid getting posterized by Malonga.
alt=”Juan Paolo David” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Juan Paolo David
