Tiffany Jackson, was a star for the University of Texas basketball team and drafted No. 5 in the 2007 WNBA draft playing nine years in the league recently passed away of cancer at 37-years-old.
Jackson was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and was hired as head coach at Wiley College in April.
Jackson was a three-time All-Big 12 selection and voted the national freshman of the year by the U.S Basketball Writers Association in 2004. Jackson finished her college career ranked in the top five in career points, rebounds and steals. The basketball star is the only Longhorns women’s player to reach 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 150 blocks in a career.
“Tiffany had a great career and was an impact player,” former Texas coach Jody Conradt said according to WFAA 8. “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 and played for the Tulsa Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks. Her best WNBA season was in 2011 with Tulsa when she averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.
The Shock organization moved to DFW in the summer of 2015, officially becoming the Dallas Wings in November 2015.
After learning of Jackson’s passing, the Wings shared their condolences and put out the following statement on their social media pages:
“A Texas legend. A member of our WNBA family. A mom, daughter, teammate, mentor, and friend. Your impact will be remembered forever.”
After being diagnosed with cancer, Jackson still managed to return to the court to play a final season with Los Angeles in 2017 before retiring at age 32. She was later an assistant coach at Texas for two seasons.
“We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Tiffany Jackson, one of the greatest players in the history of Texas women’s basketball,” current Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “I know she was so excited to be the head coach at Wiley College for the upcoming season. She will be sorely missed by so many. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family.”
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