CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – Fighting Illini women's basketball and head coach Nancy Fahey announced Wednesday (Nov. 11) the signing of three student-athletes to the Illinois women's basketball program. Adalia McKenzie (Brooklyn Park, Minnesota), Jayla Oden (Baltimore, Maryland) and Keanna Rembert (Raleigh, North Carolina) will join the Orange and Blue for the 2021-22 season.

"Today is a very exciting day for our program," said Fahey. "We are elated to add these three talented young ladies to our Illini family! Adalia, Jayla and Keanna all come to us with an exceptional competitive drive, speed, defensive grittiness and a scorer's mentality. Each of these young ladies believes in the vision of our program and are excited to be part of creating a tradition of excellence at the University of Illinois. Each member of this trio adds to the level of talent on our roster and represents everything we expect from our student athletes; they will be fearless competitors on the court and outstanding role models in the community."

ADALIA MCKENZIE | 5-10 | GUARD | BROOKLYN PARK, MINNESOTA | PARK CENTER HIGH SCHOOL

MCKENZIE'S HIGHLIGHTS:

• Rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN and ProspectsNation.com
• ESPN ranked as the No. 53 player overall and the No. 20 guard in the Class of 2021
• PropectsNation.com ranked as the No. 111 player overall, and the No. 35 guard in the Class of 2021
• PrepGirlHoops.com rated as the No. 39 overall player, No. 4 nationally among combo guards, and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Minnesota
• ASGR rated as the No. 44 overall prospect in the Class of 2021
• Three-year letterwinner at Park Center High School
• Three-time all-conference performer, 2019 second-team all-state honoree, and 2020 all-metro and all-state first team selection
• As a junior in 2019-20, Led Park Center to conference and section championships and a berth in the state tournament with a 24-5 record
• Averaged 31 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals per game, while shooting 60 percent from the field, 30 percent from three-point range, and 72 percent from the free-throw line in 2019-20

WHY ILLINOIS: "I committed to the University of Illinois because I believe that I will develop, academically and athletically, to achieve the goals I have for myself. I wanted to go to a school where I could help make history and I believe I can do that at Illinois. I will get a great education at a top academic school and will have the support I need, both on and off the court, from the coaching staff.  I am extremely excited for the future and to play for Coach Fahey!"   

FAHEY'S TAKE: "We are extremely excited to welcome Adalia McKenzie to our Illini family! Adalia has a level of competitiveness and tenacity on defense that make her a tough adversary. Her ability to score at a high level, an explosive first step and her versatility, make her an extremely valuable addition to our team.  Adalia is the perfect fit for the future of our program both on and off the court."

JAYLA ODEN | 5-9 | GUARD | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND | MCDONOGH HIGH SCHOOL

ODEN'S HIGHLIGHTS:

• Rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN
• ESPN ranked as the No. 33 point guard in the class of 2021
• PrepGirlHoops.com rated as the No. 6 recruit in the state of Maryland, including the state's top point guard prospect
• Three-year letter winner in women's basketball and one year in track & field at McDonogh
• Two-year team captain at McDonogh School as a junior (2019-20) and senior (2020-21)
• As a junior in 2019-20, averaged 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.3 steals per contest
• Earned first-team IAAM All-Conference honors in 2019-20
• McDonald's All-America nominee
• Named to the McDonagh Honor Roll as a junior

WHY ILLINOIS: "When choosing a school, the University of Illinois' leadership in learning and discovery resonated with my desire to establish roots in an environment that will allow me to enhance my skills both academically and athletically. In talking to Coach Fahey and her staff, I knew I would develop as a leader while gaining a second family of people who will look out for my best interest for the next four years and beyond. Illinois offers everything I could ever want, and more!"          

FAHEY'S TAKE: "Jayla Oden is an impressive addition to our roster; she is an explosive guard with great vision and an uncanny ability to break presses. She is an exceptional student and athlete that is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, on and off the court. Jayla's work ethic translates to stops on defense and baskets on offense. We are ecstatic that Jayla will be joining our family at Illinois."

KEANNA REMBERT | 6-2 | FORWARD | RALEIGH, N.C. | MILLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL

REMBERT'S HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ranked No. 91 overall recruit by BlueStar, and No. 130 overall by ASGR, in the Class of 2021
• Three-time letter winner in basketball and volleyball, and a two-time winner for track & field
• Led Millbrook to 24-7 record and an appearance in the 2020 4A East Regional Finals during her junior season, averaging 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game as a junior
• Three-time first-team all-conference  and academic all-conference performer
• Selected to the 2020 All-District 5 second team by the North Carolina Basketball Association
• Named to the 2019 John Wall Holiday Invitational all-tournament team
• Earned MVP honors at the 2018 Yellow Jacket Christmas classic
• First-team all-conference selection as a freshman at Enloe High School in 2017-18, averaging 14 points and 7.2 rebounds per game
• Played with current Illini J-Naya Ephraim and Jada Peebles for NC Zoom

WHY ILLINOIS: "The University of Illinois is a great school, academically and athletically, and I am excited to start the next chapter of my life there. The coaching staff recruited me extremely hard - I could definitely feel the love,  and I visited last season. At the game, I watched Coach Fahey and could tell right away that she was the coach I wanted to play for; I know she is going to push me to be the best player I can be, and I love how her offense is designed for plenty of opportunities to score. The chance to play with two of my former teammates is extremely exciting and I am anxious to see what we can accomplish together at Illinois!"

FAHEY'S TAKE: "We are thrilled to add another talented student-athlete from North Carolina to our roster with Keanna Rembert! Keanna's length, athleticism, and ability to play inside and out make her a versatile and talented addition to our roster. She plays with a high level of energy and IQ that make her a fierce and savvy competitor. We are overjoyed to add Keanna to our family."