Tensions were high and the talk was loud during Monday night’s gritty matchup between the LA Sparks and the Connecticut Sun. But it wasn’t just the scoreboard doing the talking—Rickea Jackson and Bria Hartley had some choice words for each other, and fans caught all of it.
Midway through the third quarter, cameras caught Rickea Jackson exchanging heated words with Hartley during a dead ball. The Sparks rookie repeatedly shouted:
“Bum a**, weak a**.”
The video made the rounds fast, with Overtime posting it on Instagram. Naturally, Hartley didn’t stay quiet. After the game, she hopped on her own IG Story and reposted a Sun highlight clip of her sinking a jumper over Dearica Hamby.
“Who weak as hell,” Hartley wrote, in what was clearly a shot back at Jackson.
Not long after, Jackson clapped back by sharing the Sparks’ final stat graphic that featured her numbers from the win and added a quick jab of her own:
“Whoever lost today.”
Both Jackson and Hartley were solid in the game. Hartley dropped 25 points, along with six assists and a steal. Jackson had 19 points, six boards, four dimes, and two blocks while hitting over 56% of her shots. Stats aside, it was clear neither player backed down from the moment.
“What she has cannot be taught”: Rickea Jackson eager for Cameron Brink’s return
Off the court, Rickea Jackson is looking ahead to some reinforcements. The Sparks rookie recently shared her excitement about the nearing return of her draft classmate, Cameron Brink, who’s recovering from a torn ACL.
“I cannot wait to have Cam back,” Jackson told The Score. “Just being able to play with someone with the defensive ability that she has, teams are afraid of her. Teams can’t just make a regular layup on her.”
Brink, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft, was a defensive anchor before going down. In 15 games last season, she averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 boards, and 2.3 blocks.
“Cam is very intimidating in that paint. You’re not just going to get any shot over her,” Jackson added. “What she has cannot be taught.”
Brink is expected to return to the Sparks’ lineup before the end of July—a timely boost for a team trying to stay in the playoff hunt.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
