Mississippi
What WNBA mock drafts project for Jerkaila Jordan, Mississippi State women’s basketball
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball has a potential WNBA draft pick in Jerkaila Jordan.
The 5-foot-10 guard returned to the Bulldogs and had another standout season to end her college career. She scored 16.0 points per game and was named to the All-SEC second team for the second straight season while MSU (22-12) reached the NCAA tournament second round.
The three-round, 38-pick WNBA draft is April 14 in New York.
If Jordan’s picked, it’ll be the second straight year with a WNBA draft pick for Mississippi State and coach Sam Purcell. Jessika Carter was a second-round pick last year, the first Mississippi State draft pick since 2019.
Here’s a look at Jordan’s WNBA draft stock.
WNBA draft: Where Jerkaila Jordan could be picked
WNBA mock drafts do not project Jordan to be drafted, but she’s still seen as a legitimate prospect.
ESPN’s 50-person big board ranks Jordan No. 46 and as the No. 18 shooting guard.
“An effort player, Jordan is aggressive on both ends of the floor,” ESPN’s Charlie Creme wrote in his analysis of Jordan. “She’s at her best with the ball, pursuing the lane off the dribble. Jordan’s shooting range regressed, and shot selection is a shortcoming. Her quickness is an asset on defense.”
Jordan participated in the women’s college basketball all-star game at the Final Four in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday. She played 19 minutes, scoring three points on one field goal attempt with eight rebounds, two steals and three turnovers.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Mississippi lawmakers face pressure to counter looming federal cuts to health care after punting this session
Wicker: Mississippi powered Artemis II
Published 4:00 pm Monday, April 20, 2026
For nine days this month, space travel captivated the world. Families gathered around their screens as four astronauts strapped into the Integrity spacecraft docked at the Kennedy Space Center. As the launch countdown ended, four Mississippi-tested RS-45 engines ignited, and the ground shook. Seven seconds later, the Integrity had liftoff. For six intense minutes, the RS-45 engines rocketed the crew into high Earth orbit, sending them on their historic lunar flyby mission.
Mississippi should take a bow. The four RS-45 engines were tested at our very own Stennis Space Center, where Mississippians have been ensuring the quality of rocket engines since the Apollo program. For eight years, engineers, safety managers, and logistics specialists from the state have tested the engines that powered the Integrity and will power future Artemis launches. Their work paid off, and the launch was a marvel of engineering. NASA leadership made special mention of the rocket engine burn, calling it “flawless.”
One Mississippian in particular helped make the mission a success. Hernando native Matthew Ramsey handled a great deal of responsibility as the mission manager for Artemis II. The Mississippi State University graduate helped set the focus for the mission and equip the astronauts and staff for the job. Matthew also served as the deputy of the Mission Management Team, the group of NASA staff that comes together just days before a launch. The team assumes the risks of the mission ahead, and they make tough calls during flight if challenges arise.
As the Artemis II journey progressed, the world could not stop watching. Our social media feeds were full of photos and videos beamed down from the heavens. They captured humorous situations, such as the astronauts adjusting to life without gravity or testing their plumbing skills.
We also witnessed moments of majesty. On the fifth day, the Integrity began using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot our astronauts back home. That trajectory led the crew around the Moon, farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone. As the explorers looked upon outer space, they captured stunning images. Among the most remarkable is Earthset, in which Commander Reid Wiseman photographed Earth as it appeared to fall below the horizon of the moon.
When their spacecraft returned to Earth’s atmosphere, the crew was traveling nearly 35 times faster than the speed of sound. Ten minutes later, a series of parachutes began opening. Eventually, the spacecraft’s speed fell to 20 miles per hour, and the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.
Mississippi was once again there to assist. The astronauts were greeted by the USS John P. Murtha, a U.S. military vessel built in the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. The ship’s amphibious design was suited to welcome the space travelers home—equipped with a helicopter pad, medical facilities, and the communications system needed to locate and recover the astronauts safely. Crucially, the USS Murtha was built with a well deck, a sea-based garage that stored the Integrity on the journey to shore.
Artemis II was a resounding success, paving the way for planned future flights. When the Artemis program returns humans to the moon, Mississippi will be there every step of the way.
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