KEYWORDS: Illinois Women's Basketball, Destiny Jackson, Big Ten Athletics, Whitney Young Magnet High School, Illini Basketball Recruit
Five-Star point guard to call Illinois home, Destiny Jackson commits to Fighting Illini
URBANA - The Fighting Illini women's basketball program added another highly touted recruit to its roster last week with the addition of Whitney Young point guard Destiny Jackson. The 5'6" Chicago native will join the team next season after signing a Big Ten Athletics Scholarship Agreement during the National Signing Period.
Jackson knew immediately Illinois was the place for her.
"One or two weeks after she got the job, I heard from her (Shauna Green) and it was such a great connection from the start," Jackson told CPSAthletics.com. "They’re building something great. I feel like the impact that Coach Shauna has had, I feel like she’s going to continue the success and I can’t wait to help build on that."
Jackson is ranked as the No. 28 prospect in the Class of 2025, No. 6 at her position, and No. 1 in the State by 247Sports. She is also ranked No. 25 in ESPNW's HoopGurlz rankings.
As a junior at Whitney Young, Jackson was named 2023-24 AP First Team All-State and received AP All-State Honorable Mention her sophomore season. She has also been named First Team All-Conference in the Chicago Public League (CPL) three times.
Jackson is a member of the three-time Chicago Public League (CPL) champion Whitney Young team. She chose the Illini over offers from West Virginia, North Carolina, Baylor, and Arizona.
Jackson is known for her quickness, ball-handling skills, and ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates. She averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game as a junior.
Head Coach Shauna Green praised Jackson's talent and work ethic, saying, "Destiny is a dynamic scorer, a dynamic point guard, who's going to be able to lead our team and someone that I know is going to develop into a great leader."
Jackson's commitment adds depth to an Illinois roster that includes current Illini Mia Zenere, who played with Jackson on the Example Sports club team in 2023. The Fighting Illini will look to build on their success from last season, when they reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.
"I chose the University of Illinois because it felt like home from the moment I stepped on campus," Jackson said, who excited to play at the college level with a program she feels values her potential as a player and a person. "Growing up in Illinois, I wanted to stay connected to my roots, and Illinois gives me the perfect balance of familiarity and new opportunities."
Illini women crush Truman State at home, 121-60
Illinois' Adalia McKenzie fires a shot above Truman State's Emma Bulman. McKenzie finished the team's only exhibition game of the season with nine points and was 3-for-3 from the free throw line on October 30.
Photo: University of Illinois Athletics/Eleanor Guinan
CHAMPAIGN - Every player on the Illinois women's basketball team saw at least two minutes of playing time in the Illini's opening exhibition match against Truman State. Eight players finished the night in double figures for the #23 ranked that rolled over the visiting Bulldogs 121-60 on Monday. Genesis Bryant led the Illini's offensive effort with a team-high 18 points. Jada Peebles entered the game to drop 15 points on TSU, while Kendall Bostic, who hauled down ten rebounds, contributed another 14 points. "Overall, it was a good outing. Obviously, we shot the ball really well, but on defense, we need to be sharper," said second-year Illinois head coach Shauna Green. "We need to be able to string more possessions together. That's a work in progress. We will continue to get better, but there were too many times where we got beat off the bounce way too easily." The Illini snagged 11 steals and made 21 out of 27 free throws. From beyond the arc, Illinois drained 54% of their shots, making 14 out of 26 attempts. Eight of 14 3-pointers found their way through the net in the first quarter. "It makes us really hard to guard when everyone is shooting threes and knocking them down," Bryant said. "If we could shoot like that all the time, we would be very hard to beat. It's just fun, especially when teammates are knocking them down." Truman State was paced by freshman Molly Joyce, who came off the bench to score 18 in her college debut. Teammate Lexie White kicked in another 14 points, and Madison Niemeier, a 6-2 junior, added another seven to round out the top scorers for the Bulldogs. St. Joseph-Ogden product Ella Armstrong saw eight and a half minutes of playing time under the dome against the Illini. The Truman State sophomore hit a field goal against the Big Ten host.
Upcoming Illinios Womens Basketball Schedule
Home games listed in bold
TUESDAY NOV. 7
MOREHEAD STATE STATE FARM CENTER 6 PM Saturday Nov. 11
at Marquette Milwaukee, Wis. (Al McGuire Center) 2 PM WEDNESDAY NOV. 15
SAINT PETER’S STATE FARM CENTER 11 AM Saturday Nov. 18
vs. Notre Dame # Washington, D.C. SUNDAY NOV. 26
CANISIUS STATE FARM CENTER 1 PM WEDNESDAY NOV. 29
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE STATE FARM CENTER 6 PM
MOREHEAD STATE STATE FARM CENTER 6 PM Saturday Nov. 11
at Marquette Milwaukee, Wis. (Al McGuire Center) 2 PM WEDNESDAY NOV. 15
SAINT PETER’S STATE FARM CENTER 11 AM Saturday Nov. 18
vs. Notre Dame # Washington, D.C. SUNDAY NOV. 26
CANISIUS STATE FARM CENTER 1 PM WEDNESDAY NOV. 29
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE STATE FARM CENTER 6 PM
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