The 2024 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, 6-6Jackson State grad senior forwardAngel Jackson, was selected Monday in the third and final round of the WNBA Draft.
The 6-6 Richmond, Ca. native was taken 36th overall by the LasVegas Aces in the draft held at theBrooklyn Academy of Music. Jackson was the last player selected.
She was also one of four players the Aces took in the draft. They also selected three players in the second round– Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair (16th overall), guard Kate Martin of national runners-up Iowa (18th overall) and Virginia Tech center Elizabeth Kitley (24th overall).
Jackson spent two years at JSU after transferring from Southern Cal and averaged 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and a league-best 2.9 blocks per game this season. Her 2.9 block sper game were fourth best in the nation. She also shot81.2% from the line (95 of 117), fourth best in the SWAC.In her two seasons at JSU, Jackson averaged 9.8 points, 7.0rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 4.7%from the field and 78.9% from the charity stripe.
She was the anchor of the Lady Tigers’ defense that helped them post an 18-0 regular season SWAC record and take the conference tournament title in a 68-44 win over Alcorn State last month. JSU (26-7), as a 14th-seed, lost to 3rd-seed UConnina first round NCAA Tournament game, 86-64. Jackson had 13 points, four rebounds and two blocks in the season-ending contest.”
I’m extremely excited for Angel,” Jackson State Head Coach Tomekia Reed told HBCU Legends. “She has al-ways reminded me of a pro athlete with her abilities to score from the outside being 6-6. I totally believe she will have an amazing career at the next level. She has great abilities in protecting the basket as a shot blocker, she runs the floor well and she has done an amazing job playing againstP5 (Power 5) opponents. She’s versatile being able to playfacing the basket and playing with her back to the basket.She’s a true pro. I’m excited for her and this opportunity.She’s another great representation for our HBCU community and for Jackson State.”
Jackson shot 50% from 3-point range in her JSU career canning 1 of 2 shots from behind the arc in the 2022-23 season and 3 of 6 from long range this season.
She becomes the seventh HBCU player, third player from the SWAC and second from JSU to be selected in theWNBA Draft (see STAT CORNER, below).
She joins former JSU SWAC Player of the Year Ameysha Williams-Holliday who was selected in third round of the 2022 draft by Indiana. Williams-Holliday lasted until the final cut with the Fever before being let go. Williams-Holliday was the first HBCU player to go in the WNBA Draft in 20 years.
Howard forward/center Denique Graves was the first black college player to be drafted in the league, taken by the Sacramento Monarchs in the second round of the 1997Draft. Graves only played sparingly in her one season forthe Monarchs. Howard’sKaren Wilkins was taken the following year by the Phoenix Mercury and was cut before the season started. Ditto for SWAC Player of the Year Jaclyn Winfield of Southern taken by Utah in the fourth round of the 2002 draft andNC Central center Amba Kongolo taken by Phoenix in the fourth rounnd of the same draft.
Two-timeMEACPlayer of the YearAndrea Gardner of Howard was taken in the second round of the 2002Draft by Utah and played one season with the Starzz and one season with the Washington Mystics.
