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6-0 guard Saniya Jackson will return to the court this season as a member of the Butler women’s basketball program. The Valparaiso transfer missed the 2024-25 campaign with an injury, giving her three years of eligibility at BU.
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“Saniya had a tremendous freshmen year showing her versatility on both ends of the floor,” Head Coach Austin Parkinson said. “She is an excellent cutter and explosive out of triple threat. Her length and speed can cause problems on defense with her ability to get steals in passing lanes.”
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Jackson is the third transfer to sign an athletic aid agreement with the Bulldogs this week. She joins her twin sister Nevaeh on the 2025-26 roster along with Gabby Wilke who began her collegiate career at South Dakota.
During the 2023-24 season, Jackson started in 26 of Valparaiso’s 30 games. She averaged 9.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while also leading the team in steals with 51.
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Jackson was one of 17 players nationally with 50 or more steals and 45 or fewer turnovers. She ranked eighth in the MVC in steals per game (1.7) and came up with a career-high eight steals in a game at UAB.
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A talented two-way player, Jackson also scored in double figures 16 times during her only year with the Beacons. She scored a season-high 19 points at Drake on 7-of-10 shooting that included going 3-for-4 from behind the arc. She also had 16 points against UNI, Evansville, and versus UIC in the MVC Tournament.
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Before committing to Valpo, Jackson was a standout student-athlete at Northrop High School in Fort Wayne. She was an IBCA All-State selection and an ICGSA First Team All-State choice as a senior. The year prior, Jackson was tabbed Second Team All-State.
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The three-time First Team All-Conference pick surpassed 1,000 career points while playing at Northrop and helped the Bruins win a conference title in 2022-23, conference, sectional and regional championships in 2020-21 and another sectional title in 2019-20.
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Season tickets for the upcoming 2025-26 basketball season are on sale now. Fans can email tickets@butler.edu or call the ticket office at 317-940-3647 for more information.
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