Illinois Women's Basketball Lands Five-Star Recruit Destiny Jackson

Zachary Draves | Sep 6, 2024

Feb 25, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green watches her team play the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Illinois women's basketball got a major boost as five-star guard Destiny Jackson from Whitney Young High School in Chicago committed.

After narrowing her decision to five schools (North Carolina, Baylor, West Virginia, and Arizona), Jackson made her choice Illinois official a special ceremony at her school on Thursday.

Jackson, a member of the class of 2025, is coming off a junior season where she averaged16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 steals. Over the course her high school career, she is averaging 16.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.4 steals.

5⭐️ Destiny Jackson (no. 24 espnW 100) has committed to Illinois! @JacksonDestoo | @IlliniWBB pic.twitter.com/iROpDtHtb5

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) September 5, 2024

She is also an integral part of Whitney Young being ranked in the top 20 in state over her three seasons.

This commitment is the biggest one yet for coach Shauna Green for the class of 2025.

Her arrival next year is expected to fill the gap left behind by the departure of the current core of Adalia McKenzie, Makira Cook, Kendall Bostic, Bryann Shoup-Hill, and Genesis Bryant. They look to develop with Jackson alongside freshman forward Berry Wallace and sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan in the frontcourt.

Meanwhile, Green is looking to round out the new class by adding Divine Bourrage of Davenport North in Iowa and five-star wing Kaelyn Carrol.

As of now, the landing of Jackson is huge for the team's long term development.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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