Indiana women’s basketball announced Tuesday that freshman forward Zoe Jackson will miss the upcoming 2026-27 season due to a knee injury.
“Indiana first year forward Zoe Jackson sustained a knee injury during a practice in late July that will sideline her for the 2026-27 season,” the statement read. “Jackson will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and will rehabilitate her injury with Indiana’s team of physicians, athletics trainers and strength staff. The program will look forward to her return for the 2027-28 season.”
Jackson joined the Hoosiers in January 2026 as an early enrollee, getting to practice with future teammates and under 13th-year head coach Teri Moren. The 6-foot-4 forward was an international recruit out of Australia.
She was one of the four members of a strong recruiting class for Indiana. No. 29 guard GiGi Battle and No. 66 guard Ashlinn James, plus No. 25 forward Addy Nyemchek, were members of the eighth-best recruiting class, per ESPN.
Jackson hails from Oakville, New South Wales, Australia — about 45 minutes outside Sydney — leading Arndell Anglican College to five regional titles between 2021 and 2025. Jackson’s team also won gold at the National Schools Championships in 2023, a premier event between scholastic programs from around the country.
With her success in scholastic basketball, Jackson also represented Australia in international competitions. She won gold with the Opals at the FIBA U15 Oceanic Cup and the FIBA 2023 U16 Asian Cup.
In Bloomington, Jackson would have provided additional backup to junior forward Zania Socka-Nguemen and senior forward Jess Petrie, who joined Indiana from Nebraska this offseason.
The Hoosiers also have fifth-year forward Alisa Williams from Iowa State University and junior Sydney Fenn. However, Fenn has missed the last two seasons while rehabbing from a knee injury also sustained before her first collegiate season.
After finishing the 2025-26 campaign with an 18-14 overall record and a 6-12 mark in Big Ten play, Indiana will look to challenge the top teams in the Big Ten next season.
Follow reporter Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and columnist Sean McAvoy (@sean_mc07 and semcavoy@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball offseason.
