Rickea Jackson surprises Lady Vols with visit, gifts for Sweet 16 March Madness send-off
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kaniya Boyd knew something was up at Lady Vols basketball's practice when too many cameras were spotted.
Then Rickea Jackson walked into Food City Center.
Boyd and Jewel Spear were the first ones to run over and hug their former teammate. Ruby Whitehorn was next, wrapping her arms around Jackson's shoulders and neck from behind like a sibling would.
Jackson didn't tell any of her former teammates she was visiting to send them off to the Sweet 16. No. 5 seed Tennessee (24-9) will play No. 1 Texas (33-3) in the NCAA tournament on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Legacy Arena.
Jackson told Kaiya Wynn not to check her location that they share on their phones. She didn't even tell Whitehorn, who she grew up with and played with at Detroit Edison.
"You know it takes a lot for Rickea to come outside, to just pop out," Whitehorn joked. "So I'm glad we got her out the house, we got her up to come see us, it was nice."
Jackson didn't come to Knoxville empty-handed. She brought brand-new Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones through her sponsorship deal with the company. She's the second alum to give the Lady Vols a gift for March Madness to celebrate their success. Diamond DeShields sent the team sunglass from Oakley, which she has a partnership with.
The way alumni have reached out and visited Knoxville during Kim Caldwell's first season is telling of the relationships the first-year UT coach has made the effort to build. She's the first one hired to lead the Lady Vols who didn't play for legendary coach Pat Summitt, but many former players have been supportive, including Tennessee great Candace Parker.
"It means everything. I love that we have so much support, and that the Lady Vols over time are just always coming back and giving back to the team that's here now," Whitehorn said. "It means they're paying attention to us. They're watching us, and they're letting us know that, and that's much appreciated."
"It definitely means a lot. The Lady Vol for life sisterhood is real," Wynn added. "It's thriving right now."
Sara Puckett was happy she got to catch up with Jackson. Puckett said Jackson had some words of wisdom for the team, too.
"Just to keep having fun, keep playing as a team, playing as hard as we can, running teams out the gym," Puckett said. "And to stop stressing her out."
LADY VOLS: Kim Caldwell says 'God knew what he was doing' when Lady Vols coach had baby this season
Jackson has had a busy first year as a pro. She made the WNBA All-Rookie team after her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks, who drafted her No. 4 overall last April. Then she played in Unrivaled, the new professional 3x3 basketball league, in Miami.
"I knew from one of the first times we met that she was really special," Wynn said. "So it's just been really cool to just see her work, go out there and keep getting better. I know that she's going to continue to improve on her game and continue to be a rising star."
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women's athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora's coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Rickea Jackson surprises Lady Vols with gifts for Sweet 16 send-off
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