Green Street Bias toward smaller guards
- Story byThe News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
- Green Street Bias toward smaller guards
Nov. 4—The smile on 's face as the starting sophomore point guard on the Illinois women's basketball team was asked about seeing smaller guards like thrive in the WNBA on Tuesday morning during a media availability in the lobby of Ubben Basketball Complex was evident right away.
The former UCLA standout and fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft helped the Atlanta Dream reach the WNBA Finals, as the 5-foot-6 guard Canada — now nine seasons into her WNBA career — averaged 11.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game this past season for the 30-14 Dream. Atlanta lost in seven games to the Golden State Valkyries in the finals.
Advertisement
But that didn't dull the excitement Jackson, also a 5-6 guard now in year two with coach 's Illini, felt in watching one of her favorite players nearly win an WNBA title.
"I mean it definitely makes me realize I can play at that level and I can be successful at that level," Jackson said. "I am actually a big Jordin Canada fan. So, it put a smile on my face hearing you say that. Just watching her and knowing that one day I can be at that level. That's something I aspire to be at and watching players like her I know I can be in that same position one day."
Jackson, the 2025 News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year who emerged as a five-star guard out of Whitney Young High School in Chicago and was part of a top 10 signing class for Illinois, is about to start her second season in Champaign when the 23rd-ranked Illini play host to Detroit Mercy at 6 p.m. on Wednesday from State Farm Center in the 2026-27 season opener.
And Jackson, who was part of the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in starting all 34 games for an Illinois team that won 22 games and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, is hoping to build on a freshman year in which she produced 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 31.4 minutes per game.
Advertisement
Jackson also fits a profile of similar smaller guards that have done well in Green's system over the years.
Whether at Dayton or now with the Illini.
"It's kind of a thing," Green said. "We have always had smaller, high-level guards. We had them at Dayton. () was small. () at Dayton was small. We had a 5-2 kid. Her name was (). But she was a great guard for us at Dayton, too. We have always had smaller guards and then here obviously Destiny. (Illinois junior guard) () is even bigger of a guard for us (at 5-7). I don't care about her tall you are. I don't care how big you are. I care about how big your heart is and how much passion you are going to play with and how tough you are.
"I think all of those smaller guards have always had a little chip on their shoulder. They're used to being smaller. So, they play a lot bigger than that. They play really, really hard and they're usually really, really tough. So, maybe I do have a little bit of a soft spot for smaller guards. But, hey at the end of the day if you're going to work, if you're going to compete (and) defend, that's who I have a bias for. People who work really, really hard and love to play the game."
