Texas Basketball Great Tiffany Jackson Dies at 37

Tiffany Jackson, a multitime All-American basketball player for Texas and the No. 5 pick in the 2007 WNBA draft, died from breast cancer, the school announced Monday. She was 37. 

Jackson played for the Longhorns from 2003 to ’07 and racked up a number of accolades in the process. She was named a three-time All-American and the ’04 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, in addition to earning first-team All-Conference honors in three different seasons.

Jackson is the only player in Texas women’s hoops history to have at least 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 150 blocks.

“Tiffany had a great career and was an impact player,” former Texas women’s basketball coach Jody Conradt, who retired after Jackson’s senior season in 2007, said in a statement. “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.”

A 6'3" forward, Jackson was selected by the Liberty. She played in New York for more than three seasons before she was traded to Tulsa in the middle of the 2010 campaign. The following year with the Shock, she boasted her best statistical season, averaging 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Jackson played in Tulsa through 2015, when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. When her cancer went into remission in May ’16, she pursued a return to the court, signing with the Sparks the following February.

Jackson retired in 2018 at the age of 32. She then returned to Texas, where she served as an assistant coach for two years. 

Jackson was the current head coach at Wiley College, an NAIA school in Marshall, Texas.

“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 Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer said. “From her days as a player for DFW Elite to her days as a player at the University of Texas, Tiffany has meant so much to so many people in this great state of Texas. 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.”