Former Texas Longhorns, WNBA star Tiffany Jackson passes away at 37

Sad news came out of the 40 Acres on Monday, as former Texas Longhorns and WNBA star Tiffany Jackson passed away. Jackson, who was 37 years old, suffered from cancer.

Jackson spent four seasons in Austin, playing in 123 career games and earning a start in 103 of them. Her highest personal achievement came during her first year on campus, being voted the National Freshman of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and ESPN. On a team level, Texas made it as far as the Sweet 16 during the 2004 NCAA Tournament.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Once leaving Texas, Jackson was a first-round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft, getting selected fifth overall by the New York Liberty. She retired in 2017, also playing for the Tulsa Shock and Los Angeles Sparks. Jackson immediately got into coaching.

Texas had Jackson on staff for four seasons under two different head coaches. After the 2021-2022 campaign, Jackson left the Longhorns to become the head coach of Wiley College.

Vic Schaefer releases statement on passing of Tiffany Jackson

Current Texas head coach Vic Schaefer released a statement on Jackson’s passing, calling her one of the “greatest players” in the history of the women’s basketball program. He explained how Jackson impacted the lives of so many people throughout the state.

“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,” 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.”