No. 22/22 ILLINOIS (16-5; 6-4) hosts Michigan State (11-9; 3-6)
Date | Time	Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023 | 5 p.m. CT
Location	Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center
Tickets	FightingIllini.com
Promotions	Alumni Weekend | NGWSD | Jonelle Polk Honored Jersey Ceremony
Live Stream	Big Ten Network | FOX Sports App | WATCH
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Listen | Varsity App | Sirius XM (Channel 84)
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois | Michigan State
Record Books	Illinois | Big Ten WBB | NCAA WBB
Availability/Interviews	Purdue Press Conference (1/26) | YouTube Playlist
Stats	Illinois | Michigan State
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniWBB  | #Illini  | @IlliniWBB  | Facebook  | YouTube

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 172-80 (.683), ninth year
Division I Record: 143-55 (.722), seventh year
At Illinois: 16-5, first year
Big Ten: 6-4

Series Notes vs. Michigan State

All-Time Record: Illinois trails, 28-45
Record in Champaign: 15-18
Streak:  L10
Last Meeting:  L, 60-75 in East Lansing, Mich. (12/9/21)
Green vs. Opponent: First meeting

Jonelle Polk McCloud Honored Jersey Ceremony

When the pre-game clock hits zero prior to Sunday's 5 p.m. CT game vs. Michigan State, Illinois Athletics will recognize Illini legend Jonelle Polk McCloud with an honored jersey ceremony on the court. Polk was a member of the Illinois team from 1983-87. She ranks third on the UI career scoring list with 1,984 points and was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection during both the 1985-86 and 1986-87 campaigns. Additionally, McCloud was a 1987 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient and two-time all-district selection. Illinois posted a combined 64-51 record with McCloud on the roster and made two NCAA Second Round appearances.

National Girls & Womens in Sports Day

In conjunction with the Fighting Illini Women's Basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 29 vs. Michigan State, Illinois Athletics will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day. The game starts at 5 p.m. CT, however the action will start at 3:30 p.m. when doors open for pre-game festivities. All kids 12 and under will receive free admission to the Big Ten tilt. Those tickets can be received by stopping by the ticket office window to claim. All kids in attendance have a chance at receiving a free mini basketball hoop. A pre-game clinic featuring student-athletes from numerous Fighting Illini women's teams will take place.

Opening Tips

• Illinois opened its 49th season of women's basketball with a 6-0 record for just the fourth time in program history before suffering its first loss.
• Shauna Green is the first coach in program history to open her Illinois career with a 3-0 start and pushed the new mark a 6-0 start.
• The Fighting Illini secured a win in the ACC/B1G Challenge over Pitt (11/30/22) for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
• It took the 2022-23 squad just eight games to match the previous season's win total (7).
• The 2022-23 squad doubled the previous season's win total in just 16 games (14).
• Illinois won its scheduled Big Ten home opener for the first time since 2016-17 with an 80-62 victory over Rutgers on Dec. 7, 2022.
• With Illinois' home win over Rutgers, the Orange and Blue secured an 8-2 start through 10 games for just the 10th time in program history. 
• The Illini won 10 regular-season non-conference games for just the third time in program history, tying the program record.
• Illinois won its Braggin' Rights game at [RV] Missouri on Dec. 18 and now owns wins over teams from the ACC, Big Ten and SEC in the same season for the first time since 2014-15.
• Illinois won 11 games before Christmas (December 25th) for the first time ever and 10 games before then for the first time since 2006-07.
• The Illini received a vote in the WBCA Coaches Poll (12/27/22) - the first time receiving votes since 2010 from the WBCA.
• Genesis Bryant turned in the program's third triple double against Florida Atlantic and earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors for her performance.
• With a win at Wisconsin on Dec. 29, Illinois improved to 2-1 in B1G play, the program's first winning record in conference since 2016-17.
• Illinois' New Year's Day upset of No. 12/10 Iowa marked the programs first win over a ranked team since 2019 and its first win of such at home since 2015.
• Illinois matched the best 20-game start in program history with a 16-4 record, marking the fourth time the program has achieved the feat.
• With a 6-3 start to Big Ten play, Illinois owns its best start conference play since a 6-3 B1G start in 2012-13 (finished 9-7 vs. B1G).
• For the first time since 2013, Illinois Women's Basketball received votes in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 rankings (1/2/23)
• After a career-high 24 points over No. 12/10 Iowa, Genesis Bryant reeled in the awards, earning: B1G Co-Player of the Week, ESPN Player of the Week, NCAA Weekly Starting Five
• The U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) named Illinois its Team of the Week following the squad's upset of Iowa.
• Illinois began 9-0 at home this season - matching the fifth-longest home winning streak in program history - before suffering a loss to No. 6 Indiana.
• For the first time since the 2000-01 season, Illinois is ranked - debuting at No. 24 in both polls the week of Jan. 9 before climbing to No. 21 (AP) and No. 23 (USBWA) in the Week 11 poll and No. 22/22 across the Week 12 polls.
• No. 21/23 Illinois hosted No. 6/6 Indiana on Jan. 18 in the Illini's first home game as a ranked squad since Jan. 5, 2000. A crowd of 5,583 was on hand in State Farm Center for the top-25 matchup.
• Illinois has five returners on the 2022-23 squad, including: Jada Peebles, Jayla Oden, Geovana Lopes, Adalia McKenzie and Kendall Bostic
• Shauna Green brought in eight newcomers since being hired on March 21, 2022 - four freshmen and four transfers. 
• Illinois' transfers include: Genesis Bryant (NC State), Makira Cook (Dayton), Aicha Ndour (NW Florida State College) and Brynn Shoup-Hill (Dayton) . Those three programs went a combined 85-13 last season.
• Shauna Green's trio of assistant coaches are no strangers to her or each other. Green, Calamity McEntire, DeAntoine Beasley and Ryan Gensler were on the Dayton Women's Basketball staff together for four seasons from 2017-21. With those four coaches leading from the sidelines, the Flyers posted a 79-34 overall record across four seasons.

MICHIGAN STATE STORY LINES

• Michigan State owns an 11-9 record on the season and 3-6 mark in Big Ten play.
• MSU went 15-15 last season with an 7-9 mark in conference action.
• The Spartans will travel without head coach Suzy Merchant following a minor one-car accident due to a medical incident. Associate head coach Dean Lockwood will serve as the interim head coach.

RETURN TO THE RANKINGS

For the first time since Nov. 27, 2000, Illinois Women's Basketball was ranked in the Associated Press (AP) Top-25 Rankings on Jan. 9, 2023. After 8,072 days, the Fighting Illini returned to the AP Poll at No. 24. A week later, the Orange and Blue climbed to No. 21 in the poll and now sits at No. 22 in the Week 12 poll.

Illinois is off to a 16-4 start under first year head coach Shauna Green, one of the best starts in program history. Three of Illinois' four losses came by a combined 21 points against top-6 ranked Big Ten foes.

The Fighting Illini program has appeared in 66 AP Polls total across nine different seasons now. Shauna Green joins Theresa Grentz, Laura Golden and Jane Schroeder as Illini coaches to lead a ranked Illinois squad. Green is the lone coach to achieve a Top-25 ranking in her first year leading the program.

NEW YEAR'S DAY UPSET

Illinois welcomed a crowd of 4,803 fans into State Farm Center on January 1st, 2023 - its second largest women's basketball crowd of the season- for a New Year's Day battle against No. 12/10 Iowa that did not disappoint. With the help of a 31-point second quarter along with career-high scoring efforts from Genesis Bryant (24) and Kendall Bostic (17), the Illini secured the first win over a ranked team at home since 2015. The 90-86 victory over the Hawkeyes marked Iowa's first Big Ten loss of the season and Illinois' first ranked win over any sort in over three years.

Accolades and recognition continued to pour in during the following week, and can be found in the list below.

• U.S. Basketball Writers Association Team of the Week
• Receiving votes in the AP Top-25 Poll for the first time since 2013.
• Receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls at the same time for the first time since 2010.
• SportsCenter highlights - WATCH
• Genesis Bryant ESPN Player of the Week
• Genesis Bryant NCAA Weekly Starting Five
• Genesis Bryant repeated as Big Ten Co-Player of the Week

BRYANT'S TRIPLE DOUBLE LEADS TO B1G HONORS

Following just the second start of her collegiate career, Illinois junior transfer Genesis Bryant turned in a triple-double performance, etching her name in the record books and earning herself Co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors. Bryant's award marks the first Player of the Week award by the Illini women's basketball program since the 2013-14 campaign. Bryant's triple double line read 20 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds - which also marked the first double double of her career. Her performance marked just the third triple double in Illinois program history and the second of the 2022-23 season by a Big Ten player.

Additionally, Bryant became only the sixth player in Big Ten history to score 20 points in a points/rebounds/assists triple-double, and third since 2009-10 (four by Iowa's Caitlin Clark last year; one by Michigan State's Tori Jankoska in 2016-17).

FIRST NET RANKINGS OF 2022-23

• With a 7-2 start, Illinois came in at No. 19 in the first NET rankings of 2022-23 and is currently No. 31. 
• In the same rankings a year prior, the Illini were No. 193 - marking a 174-spot difference in the first poll of the season.
• Big Ten Conference led all Division I conferences with five teams in the top 20 and 10 schools among the top 50 in the first report.

  • Current B1G NET rankings are: No. 5 Indiana, No. 9 Iowa, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 16 Michigan, No. 23 Maryland, No. 31 Illinois, No. 41 Michigan State, No. 42 Nebraska, No. 46 Purdue, No. 74 Penn State, No. 101 Minnesota, No. 109 Northwestern, No. 114 Wisconsin, and No. 164 Rutgers. 

• The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) is the primary sorting tool used for determining NCAA Tournament teams.

THE MAKIRA COOK TAKEOVER

Makira Cook delivered seven-straight 20+ point games (she played in) before Ohio State held her to just 12 points. Cook is the first Illini to do so since at least 2008-09. Cook and Amber Moore are the only two Illini to score 20+ in four consecutive games since at least 2008-09. Cook is up to nine 20+ point showings on the season.

NAME OF THE GAME IS DEFENSE

Illinois women's basketball has instilled the goal of holding opponents to 10 points or less per quarter. Through 21 games, Illinois has limited opposition to 10 or less points in 14 of 84 chances. Opponents have been held at/below 15 points in 45 of those 84 periods.  

BEST STARTS TO A SEASON

In the first season under Shauna Green, Illinois women's basketball tied the second-best start in program with a 6-0 mark before suffering a loss. The Illini's start was the best for the program in 35 years.

FIRST SEASONS AT A NEW SCHOOL

Shauna Green has quickly taken Illinois women's basketball out to a refreshing start. Green is one of 38 head coaches in their first season at a new school this season. Additionally, Green's 6-0 start put her in elite company. The following are teams that have secured a better start than Illinois - just two.