Why Lady Vols basketball's Rickea Jackson reaching NCAA Tournament was so special for her mom

SEATTLE − Caryn Jackson sat in the stands at Thompson-Boling Arena on Monday, donning a black jacket with "Jackson" in gold letters across the back. She was surrounded by Lady Vols basketball parents as her daughter's name was announced in the starting lineup.

The crowd of 5,486 fans roared as Rickea Jackson jogged onto the court, and the anticipation of Tennessee's second round matchup of the NCAA Tournament was palpable.

Jackson's mother waited four years for this moment.

Well, she actually waited much longer than that. But watching her daughter play in an NCAA Tournament didn't come to fruition until her senior season with Tennessee (25-11). After dominating their first two games, the fourth-seeded Lady Vols will face No. 1 seed Virginia Tech (29-4) on Saturday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) at Climate Pledge Arena.

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As talented as the Detroit native has always been, the basketball world – and Caryn – didn't get to see Jackson compete in March Madness until this season. She was a standout as a freshman at Mississippi State, but her first NCAA Tournament was taken from her in 2020 when the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One school and three years later, Caryn witnessed her daughter play in her first NCAA Tournament games, hosted at her new home.

"Oh man, it’s awesome – to see her playing in it is awesome, but I’m just excited about where they’re going to go with it," Caryn told Knox News. "Because this team has a great upside and Rickea’s playing well, and the energy from everybody – from the fans, from the coaches, everybody – that’s what it takes to be a championship team. So there’s a lot of potential and I’m just excited for her."

The world seeing what Caryn Jackson has always known

Jackson always gets texts from her mom before games, telling her, "have fun, play hard, I love you."

Caryn called her daughter "a mini-me" because she sees so much of herself in Rickea. The resemblance between the two is undeniable, too, though they both say they don't see it.

"That’s my best friend, we just talk about everything," Jackson told Knox News. "She’s there for me and she’s my biggest lover, but she’s also my biggest critic at the same time. So just having that person that I know at the end of the day Is going to tell me what’s right and what’s wrong – it’s a really good thing to have."

Because of the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season and transferring, the 6-foot-2 Jackson only played 34 games between her sophomore and junior seasons. In her 34 games this season, she has continued to show more and more of what she's capable of.

Jackson was an obvious choice for first team All-SEC this season. She leads the Lady Vols in scoring (19.3 points per game) and field goal percentage (54.9).

"I think a lot of people don’t realize that Rickea has always been a special talent – talent," Caryn said. "I’m going to say that one more time: she has always been a very special talent."

Anyone who has seen Jackson play knows that to be true. She has awed with her ability to get to the rim and finish, or her signature spin-around, one-legged fadeaway jumper that's as automatic as most players' layups.

Now, with Tennessee surging after its run to the SEC Tournament final and making back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16 since 2015 and 2016, Jackson's talent is on the biggest stage. It was a reality that felt more out of reach with the coaching changes each season at Mississippi State, and Caryn said it felt like things "went downhill for a moment."

"It’s super fun, because you want people to see your child’s talent, right? You don’t want it to be hidden. She works so hard," Caryn said. "She tried to stay the course, but they weren’t getting the national attention that they really should have. But now that she’s back with a team that’s back in the spotlight, the world gets to see and gets to appreciate her talent."

'She has truly figured it out'

Jackson announced before the NCAA Tournament started she would be using her extra year of eligibility to play a second season with Tennessee. It'll be the first time in Jackson's college career she'll have the same coach for two seasons.

"What I’ve been impressed with and most proud of, is her mental," Caryn said. "You hear her throw the word adversity around. I explained to her, you’ve been going through adversity all your life, so it’s not like this is something new. But I understand it’s different, because she has to figure it out. And at this time in her life, she has truly figured it out."

Her desire to return is a sign of security, Caryn said, a sign that she has found peace. The unmistakable joy Jackson plays with now trumps everything, because "nothing in the world is more important than your child’s smile."

Jackson has also found a fanbase that adores her, a fact that means the world to her mother.

"It’s an amazing feeling when people love your child as much as you do," Caryn said. "It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe as a parent, because when you love a person so much, and then everybody else sees what you see and they love that person just as much – it’s an amazing feeling, and it’s an indescribable feeling."