Rickea Jackson was supposed to be feuding with Marina Mabrey over an Unrivaled foul. Unfortunately, fate had pretty brutal plans for the 24-year-old WNBA star. As the new year commenced, Jackson was brimming with excitement and hope as she joined a very talented squad of Breeze BC on Unrivaled.
Bonding with the likes of Paige Bueckers and more, Jackson was ready to showcase her talents and make a strong case for herself in the upcoming WNBA season. But a February 8, 2026, incident rocked her world upside down. Following a brutal altercation with her boyfriend, James Pearce Jr., Jackson had her man arrested by the police. And while she tries to navigate through the tough times, Noelle Quinn chimed in with a heartfelt message.
Rickea Jackson Gets Strong Support From Noelle Quinn
Reports stated that the officers initially spotted an altercation between Jackson and Pearce Jr. Taking immediate action, the on-duty officers asked the Doral Police Department to send backup. As Chief Edwin Lopez came in to intervene, the Atlanta Falcons defensive end quickly tried to flee the spot.
Riding his car at high speed, he could only reach Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street when Pearce Jr.’s car crashed. Police soon came in to arrest Jackson’s boyfriend. Currently, the NFL star faces more than one charge that includes fleeing the police, stalking, and a couple of counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Surely, this is a situation no woman would want to be in. Especially, when the concerned person is someone whom Jackson once called her ‘partner.’ Thus, addressing the sensitive situation, the Seattle Storm head coach, Quinn, extended her support for the Los Angeles Sparks star.
“I just want to send love and light and prayers to our kid. We miss her tremendously, want her to know that we support her. We love her,” said Quinn in her recent press conference appearance.
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Breeze BC head coach Noelle Quinn opened her postgame press conference by sending love, light and prayers to Rickea Jackson. pic.twitter.com/0GcwAROffU
— Wendell Epps (@epps_wendell) February 18, 2026
Meanwhile, as Jackson will need to take a step back and self-reflect, the WNBA star does have the WNBA fans supporting her, too. But as for Pearce Jr., he has made things worse for himself by attacking the police officer who attempted to arrest him.
Did Rickea Jackson’s Boyfriend Really Injure An On-Duty Officer?
Following the high-octane chase, both the NFL and the WNBA realms were shaken to the core. Reporting on the incident, Andy Slater made a shocking claim. He pointed out that during the chase, Pearce Jr. allegedly attacked an officer and drove his car right into him, injuring his knee.
“SLATER SCOOP: Pearce Jr. also intentionally drove into a police officer, hitting the cop’s knee in an effort to get away, I’m told. The Atlanta Falcons linebacker is ‘lucky to be alive’ after that, a high-ranking police source tells me,” wrote Slater.
SLATER SCOOP: Pearce Jr. also intentionally drove into a police officer, hitting the cop's knee in an effort to get away, I'm told.
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) February 8, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons linebacker is "lucky to be alive" after that, a high-ranking police source tells me. https://t.co/l9REZZLF6K
Currently, Jackson has shown great grit following her decision to testify against her boyfriend. And although she has plenty of support, fans will watch closely to see whether the incident has shaken her game.