CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - For the first time since Nov. 27, 2000, Illinois Women's Basketball is ranked in the Associated Press (AP) Top-25 Rankings. After 8,072 days, the Fighting Illini returned to the AP Poll at No. 24.

Illinois is off to a 14-3 start under first year head coach Shauna Green, one of the best starts in program history. Two of Illinois' three losses came by a combined 10 points on the road at a pair of top-5 Big Ten foes.

The Fighting Illini program has appeared in 64 AP Polls total across nine different seasons now. Shauna Green joins Theresa Grentz, Laura Golden and Jane Schroeder as Illini coaches to led a ranked Illinois squad. Green is the lone coach to achieve a Top-25 ranking in her first year leading the program.

The complete Jan. 9, 2023 AP Rankings can be viewed HERE.

NOTES (AS OF 1/9/23)

• Illinois has matched the best 17-game start in program history with a 14-3 record. 
• With a 4-2 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).
• With 14 wins, the Illini have more wins than any season since 2014-15 (15-16).
• As of the day of the poll, Illinois owned a NET ranking of 29th – up 151 spots from a year ago.
• Illinois is already 9-0 at home this season - matching the fifth-longest home winning streak in program history.
• The Illini have seen notable success on the road as well, owning wins at Pitt, Butler, Missouri and Wisconsin for the program's most road wins since the 2014-15 campaign.
• Shauna Green has implemented a defensive mentality that has helped lead the program's resurgence – opponents are averaging 62.4 PPG (138^th NCAA, 5th B1G), 29.1% rate from 3-point range (107^th NCAA, 4th B1G), and 37.5% from the field (80^th NCAA, 2nd B1G). 
• The Illinois offense has been just as lethal – UI is averaging 81.3 PPG (14^thNCAA, 4^th B1G), 41.3% rate from 3-point range (2nd NCAA, 1^st B1G), and 47.6% from the field (13^th NCAA, 5^th B1G).
• The Illini's scoring and rebounding margins have been remarkable under Shauna Green so far. Illinois' rebounding margin sits at 10.5, which ranks 14^th in the nation and 1^st in the Big Ten. With a scoring margin of 18.9, Illinois ranks 20^th overall and 4^th in the Big Ten.