Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Tiffany Jackson, a former standout at the University of Texas who was the No. 5 pick in the WNBA draft in 2007 and played nine years in the league, has died of cancer, the school announced. She was 37. (Read More Here).
Jackson, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, died Monday. She was hired as head coach at Wiley College in April.
Jackson was a three-time All-Big 12 selection and was voted the national freshman of the year by the U.S Basketball Writers Association in 2004. She finished her Texas career ranked in the top five in career points, rebounds and steals. She is the only Longhorns player to reach 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 150 blocks in a career.
Jackson played for the Longhorns from 2003 to 2007 after a standout high school career at Duncanville (Texas) High, where she was an All-American and named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2003.
At Texas, Jackson was a member of the 30-5 team that reached the 2004 NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. She closed out her rookie campaign by earning the 2004 Big 12 Freshman of the Year award.
A three-time All-American, Jackson is the only player in program history to tally at least 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 150 blocks. She ranks fifth in school history with 1,917 career points, fourth with 1,039 career rebounds and third with 313 steals.
“Tiffany had a great career and was an impact player,” said former women’s basketball coach Jody Conradt, who retired after Jackson’s senior season. “She was recognized for her all-around game and the fact that she was tremendously mobile and could play multiple positions. She was beloved by teammates, and we share in the sadness of her passing.”
After college, Jackson was selected by the New York Liberty with the No. 5 pick in the 2007 WNBA draft. She played nine seasons in the league with the Liberty, Tulsa Shock and Los Angeles Sparks. Her best WNBA season came in 2011 with the Shock, when she averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.
“Tiffany had a great career and was an impact player,” former Texas coach Jody Conradt said. “She was recognized for her all-around game and the fact that she was tremendously mobile and could play multiple positions. She was beloved by teammates, and we share in the sadness of her passing.”
Jackson was drafted by the WNBA’s New York Liberty. She also played for the Tulsa Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks. Her best pro season came in 2011 with Tulsa when she averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.
After her cancer diagnosis, Jackson managed to return to the court to play a final season with Los Angeles in 2017 before retiring at age 32. She was an assistant coach at Texas for two seasons.
Discover more from KossyDerrickent
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
