INDIANAPOLIS — All it took was a glance from Butler women’s basketball sophomore forward Gabby Wilke toward sophomore guard McKenna Johnson to send the two longtime teammates into a fit of laughter.
“A lot of people say me and Gabby always find our way back to each other,” Johnson said.
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“Third time is the charm,” added a smiling Wilke.
They just completed two hours of a grueling defensive-oriented practice. Rep after rep of fundamental-based drills, with Bulldogs coach Austin Parkinson stressing minute details like proper technique when boxing out and how to properly rotate and communicate during a scramble drill.
Wilke is still gathering her breath after practice, but a smile never leaves her face. It’s the type of smile you have when your teammates are also your really good friends.
Parkinson brought in nine new players (seven transfers, two freshmen) for the 2025 season but the pre-existing bonds between the newcomers have expedited the adjustment period that comes from trying to learn new teammates. Wisconsin natives Wilke and Johnson were AAU teammates for years, first with the Wisconsin Impact and then with the Wisconsin Flight Elite. They joined redshirt freshman McKenzie Swanson on Flight Elite transforming the duo into a trio.
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Navigating the AAU circuit turns teammates into members of your extended family — the countless hours traveling to tournaments, hanging out at hotels between games and sharing meals. The time together off the court builds bonds that translate to winning on the court. After both players entered the transfer portal following the 2024-25 season — Wilke after one season at South Dakota, Johnson after one season at Minnesota — they learned they were both being recruited by Butler and knew it was time to reunite in Indy with Swanson.
“Right away, a lot of people were surprised that we clicked real quick,” Wilke said. “You don’t see that a lot. Everybody is a good teammate, everybody is a good person and we all want to get to work. So with that type of mentality it’s a lot easier to click.
“Even though we have a lot of new players, it was really easy (to click) because of the type of people (Parkinson) recruited.”
Former teammates have close bonds, but there’s no closer bond than the one shared between twin sisters: guards Saniya and Nevaeh Jackson. They transferred from Valpraiso while their older brother Jalen landed with the men’s basketball team from Purdue Fort Wayne. The connections extend further, though.
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Katie Jackson, the mother of Jalen and the twins, coached against Addison Baxter, a freshman who played at Columbia City while Jackson coached Fort Wayne Northrop.
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Sophomore Lily Zeinstra, the lone returning starter form last season, was AAU teammates with freshman Anna Wypych in Michigan.
Familiarity with your teammate helps on and off the court, but good chemistry cannot replace experience. Samford transfer Kennedy Langham is a former Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and two-year starter. Arizona State transfer Mallory Miller flashed double-double potential as a freshman before missing her sophomore season to injury. Maine transfer Carolina Dotsey was the Sixth Player of the Year in the America East Conference, averaging 9.7 points per game while shooting 35% from 3.
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Parkinson knows it’s his job not just to bring in talented players through the transfer portal, but talented players who work well together and execute what he’s asking them to do.
“It’s been really exciting. The pieces complement each other very well, but they’re also learning concepts at the same speed,” Parkinson said. “We only have one senior (Lilly Stoddard), but with the players we’ve brought in, we have a decent amount of experience.
“We always do a lot of activities as a team, and it’s been neat to see. They hang out so much, they’re doing so many things together that there’s a natural connection to this group.”
Lily Zeinstra grew into Butler women’s basketball starting point guard
Injuries plagued the Bulldogs last season, thrusting Zeinstra into a prominent role as a freshman.
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The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 15.2 minutes per game over the team’s first 12 games as a reserve. Over the final 22 games, Zeinstra averaged 32.3 minutes per game, scoring in double figures eight times.
She averaged 7.6 points 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 26.2 minutes per game. She shot an efficient 47.5% from the field and 41.1% on 3-pointers.
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Parkinson said Stoddard and Zeinstra have embraced leadership roles on the team. Dating back to his time at IUPUI (now IU Indy), Parkinson’s teams have been led by his point guard. Holly Hoopingarner led IUPUI to the NCAA tournament in 2022. She joined Parkinson’s coaching staff shortly after her playing career ended. Assistant coach Latrell Fleming’s time with Parkinson also dates back to IUPUI. Assistant Kristin Wodrich came to Butler after six seasons as UIndy’s women’s basketball coach.
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Heading into Year 4 at Butler, Parkinson has a roster of players he recruited and a staff with well-rounded skillsets. He’s increased his win total each of the last three seasons, winning 11 games in 2022-23 and 16 games last season, but he’s yet to have a winning season. In Year 4 at IUPUI, Parkinson set his high-water mark with 24 wins. He won 24 games three times in 11 seasons and had just three losing seasons.
Building a winner in the Big East is a different challenge than in the Horizon League, but Parkinson believes he has the program on the path toward winning.
“We were able to identify pieces that complement each other in a positive way, with that being said you have to slow things down a little bit in what you’re introducing,” Parkinson said. “We’re trying to keep it simplified and it really challenges you as coaches to comb through what you’re teaching and go, ‘This is the stuff we’ve really got to be good at.'”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler women’s basketball roster rebuild, twins, transfers, Austin Parkinson
