KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s last three WNBA first-round picks shined brightly on July 16, as they combined for 48 points in Seattle’s 89-83 victory over Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A. The trio helped their teams close out the season’s first half prior to the league’s extended break for the All-Star Game in Phoenix, Ariz., and Olympic Games in Paris, France.
Rae Burrell connected on a career-best five of seven three-point attempts to tally 18 points, and Rickea Jackson fired in 16 with six rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to earn their team a win. Instead, Jordan Horston contributed 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and snared eight rebounds to help the Storm prevail in the showdown of Lady Vols. Another Tennessee alum, 2018 second-round selection Mercedes Russell, chipped in two points, a rebound and an assist in the victory for her team.
Those LVFLs, as well as Chicago’s Isabelle Harrison and Diamond DeShields, are off until Aug. 15 or 16. The WNBA All-Stars will meet the USA Women’s National Team on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC in this year’s showcase, and then the complete USA squad heads to Paris to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Another LVFL and former WNBA player, Cierra Burdick, is a member of the USA 3×3 team headed to Paris. Before heading overseas, she and her teammates will take part in the All-Star festivities on Friday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, as they play against the USA U23 National Team in an exhibition.
Horston and Russell have their team in second place in the Western Conference standings and ranked No. 4 overall in the WNBA through the first half of the campaign. DeShields and Harrison have Chicago sitting in eighth overall in the league, while Jackson and Burrell play on the WNBA’s No. 10 overall squad. Only the top eight teams advance to postseason play.
Player Updates:
Rae Burrell
6’2 | G-F | Los Angeles Sparks | 3rd Season
Rae Burrell (2018-22) has appeared in 21 games for the Sparks this season, matching her season-best 32 minutes and adding a season-high 18 points against Seattle on July 16. During that contest, she made six out of nine field goals, including a career-topping five of seven three-pointers. Burrell is averaging 5.0 points and 13.6 minutes per game thus far.
Next Game: August 15 vs. New York Liberty (9 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Diamond DeShields
6’1 | G | Chicago Sky | 7th Season
Since returning to the Sky this season, Diamond DeShields (2014-17) has appeared in 21 contests. DeShields is averaging 4.5 points per game, with 1.5 assists and 1.4 rebounds while playing 14.9 minutes per contest. DeShields has scored in double figures twice this season, and her most recent brush with double digits came on July 2, when she tallied nine points on 3-of-5 shooting in Atlanta.
Next Game: August 15 vs. Phoenix Mercury (8 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video, Arizona’s Family Sports, Marquee Sports Network, Mercury Live (Livestream)
Isabelle Harrison
6’3 | F | Chicago Sky | 8th Season
Isabelle Harrison (2011-15) has seen action in 20 games during her first active season with the Sky. After missing 2023 due to injury, she is averaging 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds while playing 14.7 minutes per game. In her most recent action, she helped Chicago win at Las Vegas on July 16 by contributing eight points, six rebounds and a pair of assists during a 14-minute stint. She had 12 points vs. New York on July 11 and 11 points vs. Seattle on July 7 for her second and third double-digit scoring efforts of the year.
Next Game: August 15 vs. Phoenix Mercury (8 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video, Arizona’s Family Sports, Marquee Sports Network, Mercury Live (Livestream)
Jordan Horston
6’2 | F | Seattle Storm | 2nd Season
In her second season in the league, Jordan Horston (2019-23) is averaging 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals over 24.6 minutes per contest for the Storm. After undergoing off-season shoulder surgery, she has gained momentum as the season has progressed. Heading into the All-Star break, Horston logged back-to-back games of 16 and 14 points, respectively, vs. Atlanta on July 14 and Los Angeles on July 16. She now has nine double-figure scoring efforts for the season, including eight in her last 13 contests.
Next Game: August 16 at Atlanta Dream (7:30 p.m. ET on Ion Television and WNBA League Pass)
Rickea Jackson
6’2 | F | Los Angeles Sparks | 1st Season
In her inaugural season with the Sparks, Rickea Jackson (2022-24) has appeared in all 24 of the Sparks’ matchups and started 19 of them. Jackson is averaging 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 26.1 minutes per contest while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 76.6 from the charity stripe. Jackson had a career-high 23 points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists during a 29-minute stint on July 13 during the Sparks’ 87-81 victory at Dallas. The LVFL has now reached double figures in 14 appearances, including 10 of her past 14 contests.
Next Game: August 15 vs. New York Liberty (9 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Mercedes Russell
6’6 | C | Seattle Storm | 7th Season
In her seventh season with Seattle, Mercedes Russell (2013-18) continues to make strides in the paint. This year, she has participated in 23 games, averaging 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds and shooting 57.6 percent from the field over 14.9 minutes per contest. Most recently, she played seven minutes and added two points, a rebound and an assist in the Storm’s victory at Los Angeles on July 16.
Next Game: August 16 at Atlanta Dream (7:30 p.m. ET on Ion Television and WNBA League Pass)
