# WNBA Stars Rickea Jackson and Kiki Iriafen on the Future of Women’s Sports and the Importance of the Mental Game

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/nice-talk-with-nikki-ogunnaike-6918201/wnba-stars-rickea-jackson-and-kiki-iriafen-on-the-future-of-women-s-sports-and-the-importance-of-the-mental-game
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/nice-talk-with-nikki-ogunnaike-6918201/wnba-stars-rickea-jackson-and-kiki-iriafen-on-the-future-of-women-s-sports-and-the-importance-of-the-mental-game.md
Podcast: [Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike](https://stenobird.com/podcast/nice-talk-with-nikki-ogunnaike-6918201)
Published: 2026-05-07T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/FUFET2405148276.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/FUFET2405148276.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nice-talk-with-nikki-ogunnaike-6918201/episodes/wnba-stars-rickea-jackson-and-kiki-iriafen-on-the-future-of-women-s-sports-and-the-importance-of-the-mental-game
Duration seconds: 2591

## Resource

Rickea Jackson and Kiki Iriafen are two of the WNBA’s brightest young stars. Today on the show, they each sit down with Nikki to discuss how they’re preparing for the upcoming season, the future of the league, and why they view the mental game of basketball to be just as important as their physical training. Jackson also lets us in on how she creates and styles her tunnel outfits, and Iriafen shares what it was like guarding Brittney Griner in her first two games as a rookie. Plus, they both discuss what partnering with Skechers—a new official sponsor of the WNBA—means to them. Note: this episode was recorded prior to the 2026 WNBA draft deadline so while we mention Rickea Jackson is a player for the Los Angeles Sparks, she will be playing for the Chicago Sky this coming season.

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