The women’s basketball team finished with a 16-18 record. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The women’s basketball team is undergoing an overhaul. Not only did four key players exhaust their collegiate eligibility, but six more entered the transfer portal.
Butler’s 2023 recruiting class has quickly disappeared, as sophomore trio — guards Riley Makalusky and Karsyn Norman, and forward Cristen Carter — will all be wearing different uniforms next season. All three started for a significant portion of the season, with Norman leading the team in assists.
Norman will stay in-state and play at Ball State, Makalusky is heading to West Virginia and Carter is going to the nation’s capital to continue her playing career at Georgetown.
Junior guard Jordan Meulemans is making an exit after missing the 2024-25 season with a knee injury. Meulemans is returning to her home state of Wisconsin to play for Marquette. Like Carter, she will return to Hinkle Fieldhouse to face Butler in Big East play next season.
First-year guard Lily Carmody and first-year forward Jocelyn Land are also finding new homes. Land committed to play at Montana, while Carmody remains uncommitted.
With lots of roster spots to fill, head coach Austin Parkinson began retooling. First, he secured a commitment from former South Dakota forward Gabby WIlke, who will be a sophomore when she first suits up for Butler.
Standing at 6-foot-2, her size will be a welcome addition for the Dawgs, but she will need to improve her rebounding skills after averaging just 2.5 rebounds per game as a first-year. A 30% three-point shooter, Wilke could make herself a dangerous offensive weapon if she can take a leap with her efficiency from beyond the arc.
Twin sisters Neveah and Saniya Jackson are also becoming Bulldogs. The Jacksons — both guards — each spent two years at Valparaiso, though an injury cost Saniya her sophomore season, leaving her with three years of eligibility remaining.
While she may need to knock off some rust after missing a full year of play, Saniya brings immense potential to the Butler roster, as she averaged 9.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a first-year.
Neveah had a breakout sophomore year, averaging 13.8 points and nearly two steals per game. She also shot 35% from beyond the arc, which will give the Dawgs a much-needed lift in the absence of most of their volume shooters.
Neveah and Saniya’s brother, Jalen, is also transferring to Butler to play for the men’s basketball team.
Caroline Dotsey, a 6-foot-2 forward from the University of Maine, rounds out the Bulldogs’ class of transfers. Dotsey will be a junior and is coming off an impressive season that saw her win America East Sixth Player of the Year.
Like Wilke, Dotsey’s size and length will be valuable, including on the defensive end. Dotsey’s three-point ability also gives Parkinson the versatility to play her with another taller forward without fear of spacing issues.
Parkinson will need to continue to be active in the portal, with his roster returning just 13% of its scoring output from last season.
