Rickea Jackson of the Los Angeles Sparks is currently away from the team for personal reasons. I hope, first and foremost, that everything is okay with her, both mentally and physically. Being a professional athlete is more exhausting than any of us realize.
Beyond that, the Sparks need to figure out a plan of action with Jackson pretty quickly. The best plan for the Sparks would be to get on the same page with Jackson; to mend a relationship that appears to be fractured, based on Jackson's social media activity (Jackson unfollowed the Sparks and took the team name out of her bio). I don't usually like digging into an athlete's activity on apps, but with Jackson now being away from the team, those actions feel a little more important.
If the relationship can't be repaired, then it might be beneficial for the Sparks to start reaching out to teams and gauge the interest around the league in Jackson. The [WNBA](https://fansided.com/wnba/wnba-news/) trade deadline is on August 8th, and if this relationship isn't repairable, then it would behoove LA to find a suitor for Jackson sooner rather than later. First-round draft pick Sarah Ashlee Barker would fill Jackson's role, and maybe the Sparks can add an extra first-round pick or two in coming drafts.
Rickea Jackson's absence is sparking trade rumors
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Scrolling through social media right now will expose you to Rickea Jackson trade ideas from pretty much every fan base in the WNBA. You can't blame them, as the second-year Sparks star showed plenty in her rookie season to instill belief that she can be a franchise pillar somewhere in the W.
Whether that "somewhere" is in Los Angeles or elsewhere remains to be seen. The Sparks are off to a brutal start this year, currently 2-6 and losers of three straight games. Their two wins have come against Golden State and Chicago, two of the worst teams in the league. It's tough to find bright spots in LA, which hasn't made the playoffs since 2020.