Jackson returns home to lead the next generation

The Albany High gym has always been a special place for Class of 2020 graduate Ahniysha “Baby” Jackson — but this season, she’s seeing it from a whole new perspective.

Jackson (pictured at left with coach Decky Lawson) has returned to The Nest as the assistant girls' basketball coach the year following a record-setting career at Siena. Now, instead of hitting 3-pointers, Jackson is helping strategize plays as she works with Lawson to mentor the current generation of Falcons.

Her basketball journey began in third grade when her father first introduced her to the sport. She quickly fell in love with the game and seized the opportunity to play club basketball for the next several years.

As a seventh-grader at William S. Hackett Middle School, Jackson joined the modified girls' basketball team. Her coaches quickly recognized her talent and invited her to compete at the high school level, giving her the chance to join the Falcons' JV team and sharpen the skills that would one day make her a record-breaking shooter. 

During her eighth-grade year, Jackson experienced a moment most varsity players only dream of -- stepping onto the court in the Section 2 championship game at MVP Arena. That experience included hitting a clutch 3-point basket in the second quarter, and even though the Falcons dropped a close result to Shenendehowa that night it was still an unforgettable milestone that served as a catalytic moment for her basketball career.

After transferring for two years, Jackson returned to Albany High as a junior ready to play ball. She excelled on the court for two years, leading the Falcons to the Section 2 semifinals and earning area all-star recognition both seasons. 

As a result of her strong leadership and skills on the court, Siena recruited Jackson to play at the Division I level. 

Over her five-year collegiate career, she became Siena's program record holder for career 3-pointers made and the 30th student-athlete in program history to score 1,000 career points. In her final season (2024-25), she averaged 15.7 points, earned all-conference second-team recognition, made the conference all-academic team, and was Siena's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. 

Upon graduating in 2025 with a degree in sports communications and an advanced certificate in strategic management, Jackson had the opportunity to return to her high school alma mater as the assistant varsity coach. She seized it wholeheartedly.

Working alongside Lawson, the program's career leader for coaching victories, Jackson has embraced her new role with enthusiasm and purpose. 

"Coaching on the varsity level, it's fun," said Jackson, who also works as a hall monitor at Albany High. "Being able to give these young women the knowledge that I know from playing collegiate basketball, it's an amazing experience."

Jackson also coaches a group of fourth-grade girls who are part of the Junior Falcons program. Whether she is working with beginners on fundamental skills or imparting strategy to more advanced players, Jackson brings her love of the game into every interaction.

From championship courts to college records and now the sidelines at Albany High, Jackson’s journey has come full circle. And as she pours into the next generation of Falcons alongside Lawson, the future of Albany High girls’ basketball is in capable hands.