From Texas Glory to WNBA Courage: Remembering Tiffany Jackson

University of Texas fans are familiar with Tiffany Jackson’s name. She was a four-time member of the All-Big 12 Conference team, including three first-team selections. She is also one of just six players in the university’s history to earn first-team All-Conference honors in three different seasons.

Jackson earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2004, solidifying her place in school history. She did not win a WNBA championship, but fans will never forget her for the fight she showed off the court.

Drafted in 2007, she carved out a solid career in the WNBA, but her greatest battle began in 2015 when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. The diagnosis forced her away from the game—but not from her identity as a fighter. Jackson underwent a mastectomy and treatment, then did something few could imagine: she returned to the floor. In 2017, she suited up for one final WNBA season with the Los Angeles Sparks—a testament to resilience.

Jackson’s comeback wasn’t about statistics. It was about courage, visibility, and reminding women everywhere that life after a cancer diagnosis is possible. By stepping back onto the court, she offered hope to those in the stands who were fighting their own private battles.

Sadly, Jackson passed away in Dallas on October 3, 2022, at the age of 37. Her story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She showed us that points and rebounds don’t measure true greatness—but the will to stand tall in the face of life’s most formidable opponents does. Tiffany Jackson left us too soon, but her strength endures.