Chicago Sky trade Ariel Aktins, acquire Rickea Jackson from LA Sparks

The Chicago Sky have acquired Rickea Jackson from the Los Angeles Sparks in a trade for Ariel Atkins.

The Sky posted on social media that they had officially acquired Jackson, while wishing Atkins the best in L.A.

"It's thrilling to acquire one of the great young talents in this league in Jackson," Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a news release. "Rickea is only going to continue to ascend, and the organization is excited to witness that growth firsthand."

Jackson was the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and has maintained averages of 14 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in her two seasons. She has been shooting 43.9% from the field and 34.7% for three-pointers.

Last year, Jackson's average jumped by 1.3 points. She earned a vote for WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2025.

Jackson, a native of Royal Oak, Michigan, played in college at Mississippi State and Tennessee.

The Sky initially acquired Atkins in a February 2025 trade. She appeared in 34 games with the Sky and averaged 13.1 points.

This comes six days after the Atlanta Dream acquired two-time All-Star Angel Reese from the Sky in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028.

The Sky also announced this weekend that they signed seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins, who most recently had been playing for the Seattle Storm. They also acquired free agent forward and 2021 WNBA champion Azurá Stevens, and picked up guard Jacy Sheldon from the Washington Mystics in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick.

Meanwhile, the Sparks announced this weekend that they had signed WNBA All-Star guard Erica Wheeler, who will be playing her second stint in L.A.

The WNBA Draft is coming up on Monday.