Tiffany Jackson, Retired WNBA Star, Dead At 37
It has been learned that former WNBA New York Liberty player Tiffany Jackson has died following her battle with cancer on Monday (Oct. 3). She was 37 years old.
According to The New York Times, the Texas-native first noticed a lump in one of her breasts back in 2015 while playing off-season in Israel. Jackson waited until the off-season was over and to return to the United States before getting checked by a doctor. She was then diagnosed with breast cancer.
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Jackson played nine seasons in the WNBA.
“I didn’t let my teammates know until the playoffs because I knew I was going to have to go back to Dallas, after Game 2, win or lose, to start treatment,” she told ESPN in 2016. “I ended up telling everybody via mass text, because I was afraid if I did it in person, I would just break down.”
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According to athletic records from the University of Texas, Jackson is the only person in program history to have accomplished the combined feat of 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 150 blocks. She currently ranks fifth in school history with 1,917 career points, fourth with 1,039 career rebounds, third with 313 steals and seventh with 181 blocked shots. She is one of only five players in program history to record more than 1,000 career points and more than 1,000 career rebounds.
According to Jody Conradt, her former coach from college, “What made her stand out was her versatility. She was 6’3, very mobile and could play multiple positions. But that was secondary to her competitiveness — I don’t think I’ve seen a player as competitive as Tiffany.”
Following her nine years in the WNBA, Jackson retired in 2018. She then became an assistant coach for two seasons at the University of Texas. Earlier this year, Jackson was named head coach of the women’s basketball team at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. She died before she could coach a game for the team.
Rest In Peace Tiffany Jackson.
