CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Illinois women's basketball head coach Shauna Green announced Monday (April 11) the addition of All-Atlantic 10 performer Makira Cook to the Fighting Illini roster.

Cook, a former four-year letterwinner and two-time state champion at Mount Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, joins the Illini after two seasons at Dayton where she helped the Flyers to back-to-back A-10 regular-season titles and appearances in the 2021 WNIT and 2022 NCAA Tournament.  

Cook is the first signee for Green and her staff at Illinois.

Makira Cook | 5-6 | Guard | Cincinnati, Ohio (Dayton)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Named A-10 Most Improved Player and Second Team All-Conference, and was an all-tournament team selection at 2022 A-10 Championships.
• Played in 49 games with 26 starts over her first two seasons at Dayton, averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 35 percent from three-point range.
• Led the team in scoring as a sophomore in 2021-22 at 14.8 points per game, while ranking second on the team in both assists per game (2.9) and steals per game (1.2).
• Scored in double-figures 28 times during her two years at UD, including two games during her sophomore season with a career-high 29 points.
• Rated as the No. 82 player in the country by Prospect Nation when she signed with Dayton out of high school.

Why Illinois: "I chose Illinois because I believe that the program has infinite potential. Overall, I just feel like it's a good fit for me. I sensed the family feel and genuine care from the first second I got on campus and had a chance to meet the Illinois Family. I trust Coach Green and her staff, and I am ready for a new challenge as I continue my athletic and academic career."

Green's Take: "I could not be happier than to have our first signee to our Illinois family be Makira Cook. Everything that she embodies is what our culture is about. She is an amazing player who can score at all three levels, she facilitates, and she defends with toughness. Makira understands our system and understands what it takes daily to become a champion. She will come in and make everyone better. We talk all the time in our program about trust, loyalty, the relentless pursuit of being elite, and being a great teammate, and Makira demonstrates all of these."