Illini Host Minnesota for NGWSD Game

Illinois (8-10, 2-6 B1G) vs. Minnesota (14-5, 4-4 B1G)
Date | Time	Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024 | 2 p.m. CT
Location	Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center
TV/Live Stream	B1G+ | bigtenplus.com | WATCH
Tickets	Single-Game Tickets
Promotions	NGWSD | Pregame Activity Fair in Traditions Club | Learn More
Digital Game Program	Read Here
Radio	Listen | Varsity Network App | Busey Bank Illini Sports Network
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	Illinois | Minnesota
2023-24 Stats	Illinois | Minnesota
Record Books	Illinois | Big Ten WBB | NCAA WBB
Availability/Interviews	Ohio State Postgame Press Conference | YouTube Playlist
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniWBB  | @IlliniWBB  | Facebook  | YouTube

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 186-95 (.662), 10th season
Division I Record: 157-70 (.692), Eighth season
At Illinois: 30-20 (.600), Second season
Big Ten Record: 13-13

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

• Minnesota sits at 14-5 overall on the season with a 4-4 mark in B1G play.
• The Gophers went 11-19 last season with a 4-14 reading in league play.
• Minnesota was one of two teams being led by a new. head coach this season, hiring Dawn Plitzuweit during the offseason.

All-Time Series Info

Sunday's game marks the 73rd all-time meeting between the programs, with Illinois leading, 41-31. The Illini claimed meetings on both teams' home courts last season. Shauna Green is 2-0 all-time against the Gophers.

CELEBRATING NGWSD

In conjunction with the Fighting Illini Women's Basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 28 vs. Minnesota, Illinois Athletics will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day. The game starts at 2 p.m. CT, however the action will start at 1 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.

A pre-game clinic featuring student-athletes from numerous Fighting Illini women's teams will take place.

New this year, a panel will be hosted for members of our campus community featuring the women who lead Illinois Athletics. The panel will run from 12-1 p.m. with a meet and greet to follow and is an RSVP event for local college-aged students. The panel will include Head Soccer Coach Janet Rayfield, Director of Football Recruiting Maya Green, Director of Educational Enrichment Shanika Mungin, and Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Fan Engagement Cassie Arner.

COOK IS COOKING

After being sidelined with an injury for the first three games of her senior season and working through a slow start when she returned, Makira Cook has found her groove again. The returning All-American scored 12 or more points in eight of the last nine games for the Illini, with six of the games on the road. Across the nine-game span, Cook averaged 15.9 points/game, 5.0 assists/game, and 2.9 rebounds/game.

KENDALL BOSTIC: YEAR 3 AS AN ILLINI

Since her arrival as a sophomore ahead of the 2021-22 season, Kendall Bostic has continued to find ways to impact the Illinois program. She's started every game since her arrival from Michigan State and has been a double-double machine. Bostic is approaching 100 career games played and has broken into numerous top-10 lists as an Illini. The post has recorded 24 double-doubles, which ties for 8th on the UI all-time list. (^ indicates Illinois single-season record)

MCDONALD'S ALL AMERICAN

Fighting Illini women's basketball signee Berry Wallace has earned a spot in the 2024 McDonald's All American game. Wallace – a native of Pickerington, Ohio – is one of 24 girls named to the roster for the 47^th annual event. Wallace is in the midst of her senior season at Pickerington High School Central. She's a 6'1" forward rated as a five-star recruit. Wallace played her AAU ball with United Family 3SSB.

She is the third player in Illinois women's basketball program history to earn a spot on the McDonald's All American Game roster. The last Illini signee to play in the game was Chatrice White in 2014.

Wallace also earned a spot on the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Girl's High School Player of the Year Preseason Watch List a week after signing her National Letter of Intent in November.

ROUTING RUTGERS

All five starters finished in double figures as Illinois secured its second Big Ten win of the season with a 96-68 victory over Rutgers at State Farm Center on Jan. 17.

The Fighting Illini recorded at least 90 points for the second straight game, their first time hitting that scoring mark in back-to-back Big Ten games since the 1998-99 season. Ten players (of 11 that saw action) tallied a basket as the Orange and Blue clinched consecutive conference wins for the first time this season.

Six players scored double-digits for the Illini including Genesis Bryant (17), Adalia McKenzie (14), Kendall Bostic (13), Makira Cook (12), Camille Hobby (12), and Gretchen Dolan (11). Dolan equaled her career-high scoring mark with 11 points while registering a career-high 23 minutes. The Illini have scored at least 20 points in eight straight quarters. Illinois committed a season-low six turnovers – the team's fewest since also recording six against Nebraska on Feb. 22, 2023.

PEEBLES ON CAREER GAMES ALL-TIME LIST

Jada Peebles is the longest-tenured Illini on the squad, playing all five of her collegiate seasons at Illinois. Peebles has appeared in 124 games, owning sole possession of sixth on the all-time list. The fifth-year announced a season-ending torn achilles injury on her social media accounts on Tuesday, Jan. 16. The injury occurred during Illinois' 1/14 game at Northwestern.

CHICAGO'S BIG TEN TEAM: ILLINOIS

All 14 Illini saw action with 12 scoring in the Fighting Illini's 93-52 victory at Northwestern on Jan. 14. Illinois registered a season-best 25 assists to assist on 76% of made field goals en route to its first Big Ten victory of the season. The Illini's 25 assists were their most in a game this season and were their most since registering 26 on Nov. 21, 2015, against UT Martin.

Illinois finished with 93 points, the program's most in a Big Ten game since the Illini scored 95 on Feb. 5, 2015, vs. Minnesota. The Illini's 93 points were their most in a conference road game since Feb. 14, 1999, when they scored 104 in a win at Indiana. The Illini's 93 points are the most they have ever scored against Northwestern in series history, which has included 86 total games.

Illinois' 41-point margin of victory was their largest in Big Ten play since Feb. 15, 1998, when the Illini beat Michigan State, 98-51 (+47). Illinois' 41-point margin of victory over the Wildcats was the largest by either team in series history. The Illini's 41-point victory was their second-largest margin of victory in a true road game in program history. The 41-point margin of victory against Northwestern was their largest in a true road game since Dec. 6, 2014, when the Illini beat Southern Illinois on the road by 44 points, 86-42.

COOK NAMED TO WEST PALM BEACH CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

After playing 74:29 of 80 possible minutes and recording 17.0 points/game, 7.0 assists/game, and 6.5 rebounds/game, Illinois senior Makira Cook was named to the West Palm Beach Classic All-Tournament Team following the Illini's holiday contests in the Sunshine State. In Illinois' WPB Classic opener vs. Arkansas, Cook delivered the third double-double of her career with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Against UTEP, Cook connected for 17 points and 9 assists.

Coach Green Faces Her Alma Mater

For the first time in her career as both an assistant and head coach, Shauna Green (the former Shauna Geronzin), coached against her alma mater, Canisius, on Sunday, Nov. 26. The Illini took down the Golden Griffins, 90-58.

Wearing No. 34 for the Griffs from 1998-2002, Green scored 2,012 career points, the most of any men's or women's player - a record which still stands. She also became the program's all-time leading rebounder with 910 boards - a mark that now ranks second. Green was Named 1999 MAAC Rookie of the Year and was also voted 2002 Canisius Female Athlete of the Year. She was a four-time All-MAAC selection and three-time All-MAAC First-Team honoree. She was enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Citi Shamrock Classic in Washington, D.C.

The Fighting Illini faced off against No. 16/14 Notre Dame from the nation's capital on Saturday, Nov. 18, in the second-annual Citi Shamrock Classic. Action from Entertainment & Sports Arena – home of the Washington Mystics. The Irish won the outing 79-68.The game was televised live on NBC and streamed on Peacock. The nationally televised game marked Illinois women's basketball's first-ever game aired on NBC or Peacock.

In addition to the highly anticipated matchup on the court, Friday featured a women's leadership luncheon, offering both teams an opportunity to hear from a select group of the most powerful women in business and sports. Additionally, both teams participated in a community service initiative presented by Gatorade, which included a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. 

HAVE A NIGHT, GENESIS BRYANT

For the second time in as many seasons, Genesis Bryant delivered a career-high night in the Illini's season-opening game. This season, Bryant scored 32 points on 75% shooting to go along with four rebounds and four assists. She shot 10-for-11 from 2, 2-for-5 from 3 (12-for-16), and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. She was the first Illini to record at least 30 points in a game since Makira Cook scored 33 points at Indiana on Dec. 4, 2022.

Bryant's Game Score of 26.8 was the top mark in NCAA WBB on Nov. 7. "Game score" is a metric giving a measurement of a player's productivity for a single game.

BRYANT GOES FOR 30, AGAIN

In the Illini's 79-68 loss to No. 16/14 Notre Dame from the nation's capital, Genesis Bryant put on a show on the biggest stage, scoring 31 points. The output marked Bryant's second 30-point game of the season and her career. Bryant is the first Illini to have multiple 30-point games in a season since 2010-11 when Karisma Penn did so as a sophomore.

Field Trip Day 2023

• Illinois hosted its annual Field Trip Day on Nov. 15, 2023, when the Illini took on Saint Peter's.
• Attendance was called at 11,563 - the 4th largest crowd in program history and top mark since 2/20/00.
• The first of the "we want 100" chant from the students started in the third quarter. With 56 seconds left in the game, Shay Bollin hit a jumper to push the Illini into triple digits for the 103-33 victory.
• The 70-point margin of victory is the third-largest in program history.
• The Illini moved 6-1 in Field Trip Day games.

All-Time Field Trip Day Games

Illinois has hosted the promotional event every season besides the COVID year since 2016-17.

Returning Scoring

Illinois women's basketball returned 93.4% of its scoring from the 2022-23 season, which is believed to be the second-highest percentage across NCAA WBB. That breaks down to 2,251 of 2,410 points returning for the Illini. In those returners are all five starters from last season and 10 total players.

HOME ATTENDANCE NUMBERS

Across its 15 home games during the 2022-23 season, Illinois Women's Basketball saw 52,295 fans fill the State Farm Center en route to a 12-3 record. That total attendance ranked 5th in program history and made Shauna Green the only head coach to bring in 50,000 or more fans in her first season with the Illini.

In Illinois' season - and home - opener, the attendance of 2,680 marked the largest ticketed season-opening crowd at State Farm Center since 2000 (3,954). Through 10 home games, Illinois has a combined attendance of 41,160 for an average of 4,116 a game. 

COOK'S PRESEASON ACCOLADES

• Preseason All-Big Ten - Coaches (Oct. 4)
• Preseason All-Big Ten - Media (Oct. 4)
• Nancy Lieberman Top-20 Point Guards Preseason Watch List (Oct. 16)
  • First honoree in Illinois program history
• 2023-24 Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's Player of the Year Watch List (Nov. 4)
  • Third honoree in Illinois program history, joining Tauja Catchings and Susan Blauser from the 1999-2000 season.
• John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List (Nov. 14)
  • Second honoree in program history, joining Jenna Smith from the 2009-10 season.

NCAA COACHING LIMIT INCREASE

With the NCAA's coaching limit increase going into effect on July 1, Emily Durr and Jenna Giacone have been elevated to assistant coaches on Shauna Green's Illinois women's basketball staff. Durr adds on-court coaching duties in addition to her director of recruiting operations responsibilities, while Giacone adds on-court coaching duties on top of her director of scouting and player development role in year two on Green's Illini staff. 

Both Durr and Giacone followed Green from her previous stop at Dayton. Durr served one season as an administrative associate with the Flyers, while Giacone played six seasons under Green at UD. 

FIRST SEASONS AT A NEW SCHOOL

Shauna Green quickly took Illinois women's basketball out to a refreshing start and has sustained that success better than anyone. Green was one of 38 head coaches in their first season at a new school last season. The Illinois squad was one of just 10 programs under a new coach last season to have secured 20 or more wins and one of seven to make the NCAA Tournament.