Valpo women’s basketball head coach Mary Evans announced today that a quartet of high school seniors have signed National Letters of Intent. Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral), Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop), Saniya Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) and Raeven Raye-Redmond (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood Madison) will join the Beacons program as freshmen for the 2023-24 campaign.

“We are really excited to have Nevaeh, Saniya, Raeven and Layla join our Valpo family,” Evans said. “They are all really skilled basketball players, great students and tremendous people. They all really love to play the game of basketball and do it with lots of passion and joy.”

Layla Gold – 5’11” – G/F – Indianapolis, Ind. – Cathedral H.S.

Gold stood out in her first season at Cathedral as a junior last year, averaging better than 15 points and five rebounds per game to help lead the team to a city championship. She was named First Team All-City and was named a Top 10 player in her class by the Indy Star. Gold enters her senior year a member of the Indy Star Preseason Super Team and ranked 21^st overall in her class and seventh at her position by Prep Girls Hoops. She played her first two seasons at Park Tudor H.S., where she was an Honorable Mention Underclassman All-State selection as a sophomore and helped the team to a pair of sectional semifinals, averaging 20 points/game.

Evans on Gold: “Layla is a tremendous shooter and a really good defender as well. She has great length at the guard position and is extremely skilled on the offensive side of the ball. We think her best basketball is still ahead of her and are looking forward to getting her to campus and working with her.”

Nevaeh Jackson – 6’0” – Fort Wayne, Ind. – Northrop H.S.

Jackson was a Second Team All-State honoree as a junior at Northrop, averaging 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. Also a First Team All-Conference honoree, Jackson was named the Bruins’ best defensive player. She helped Northrop earn conference, sectional and regional championships in 2021 and a sectional title in 2020.

Evans on Jackson: “Nevaeh is an extremely long and athletic guard that can play all five positions within our basketball system. She only knows how to play the game one way and that is with tremendous effort. She is a fantastic defensive player and has a knack for making shots. She has played high-level basketball, both in high school and in AAU, and we are looking forward to watching her grow and develop over the next four years.”

Saniya Jackson – 6’0” – Wing – Fort Wayne, Ind. – Northrop H.S.

Nevaeh’s twin sister, Saniya Jackson has also stood out for the Bruins over the last few years. She averaged 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game last season in earning Second Team All-State honors. A two-time First Team All-Conference honoree, Jackson was named Northrop’s best offensive player last season. She helped Northrop earn conference, sectional and regional championships in 2021 and a sectional title in 2020.

Evans on Jackson: “Saniya is a great shooter and tremendous defensive player. She plays the game with great energy and is always flying around the court. She has great length and is extremely versatile, which will allow her to play multiple positions within our basketball system. We are excited to get her to campus and continue to watch her develop as a basketball player and person.”

Raeven Raye-Redmond – 5’6” – Guard – Trotwood, Ohio – Trotwood Madison H.S.

Raye-Redmond won a national championship on the AAU circuit this past summer, helping West Virginia Thunder claim the UAA U17 crown. She is ranked 23^rd in the state of Ohio in her class by Prep Girls Hoops. Raye-Redmond has scored in double figures in each of her three seasons with Trotwood-Madison and has racked up gaudy steal numbers as well, helping the Rams reach district finals three times. She was a Third Team All-Southwest Ohio choice as a sophomore and was named a District 15 Underclassman All-Star last year.

Evans on Raye-Redmond: “Raeven is a lock-down defender. She has a great mix of strength and quickness. She will definitely impact our program on the defensive side. She played really high-level AAU basketball with the WV Thunder and played an important role as a defensive stopper on that team that won the UAA summer circuit. We are excited to watch her growth on the offensive side of the ball.”