| Illinois Starters Last Game (2023-24 Stats) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. (last) |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Season Note |
| G |
3 |
Makira Cook |
5-6 |
Sr. |
16.4 |
3.1 |
4.4 |
WBIT Most Outstanding Player |
| G |
1 |
Genesis Bryant |
5-6 |
Sr. |
14.2 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
9th place on Illinois' career made 3-point FG list with 133 makes |
| G |
24 |
Adalia McKenzie |
5-10 |
Jr. |
11.0 |
5.0 |
2.2 |
21 double-digit scoring efforts, five games with 20+ points last year |
| F |
44 |
Kendall Bostic |
6-2 |
Sr. |
12.1 |
10.9 |
1.7 |
Double-double in 9 of last 11 games |
| C |
41 |
Camille Hobby |
6-3 |
5th |
9.3 |
4.9 |
0.3 |
First-career double-double vs. Maryland (2/11/24) |
Career Record:Â 197-100Â (.663), 11th season
Division I Record:Â 168-75Â (.691), Ninth season
At Illinois:Â 41-25Â (.621), Third season
Big Ten Record:Â 19-17Â (.528), Third season
Live Stream
Fans unable to attend Friday night's exhibition game can watch Illinois vs. Lewis online by purchasing a subscription to B1G+, a streaming service of non-televised events produced by the Big Ten Network in partnership with the Big Ten Conference schools.
Fans who sign up can choose either the monthly rate of $12.99Â or the annual rate of $89.99. The B1G+ subscription includes access to live streaming of non-televised games, next day on-demand archives, and access to Big Ten Network's library of Illinois' previous season classics and originals.
The 17Â remaining women's basketball games are slated to be streamed via B1G+:
» Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. vs. No. 19/19 Florida State
» Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. vs. Eastern Illinois
» Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. vs. Le Moyne
» Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. vs. Oregon State
» Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. vs. Bradley
» Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. vs. Southern Indiana
» Dec. 20 at 12 p.m. vs. Southern
» Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. vs. Oregon
» Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. at Minnesota
» Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. vs. Iowa
» Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. vs. Michigan State
» Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. at Rutgers
» Feb. 2 at 12 p.m. at Maryland
» Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. vs. Northwestern
» Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. at Wisconsin
» Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. vs. Penn State
» March 2 at 2 p.m. vs. Michigan
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LAST EXHIBITION
No. 23 Illinois began the second year of the Shauna Green era in Champaign with a resounding 121-60 victory over Truman State in the team's lone exhibition game of the 2023-24 campaign. Green used the preseason game to give playing time to all 14 players, while 12 different scorers registered at least one point in the blowout victory, including eight Illini in double figures.
The Illini converted 14 of their 26 3-point attempts, and they knocked down eight 3-pointers within the first 10 minutes of play. The Orange and Blue outrebounded the Bulldogs, 53-16, while scoring 26 second-chance points on 25 offensive rebounds.
Illinois notched 11 steals and scored 31 points off turnovers, and the hosts registered 20 assists while shooting 55.8% from the field and 53.8% on 3-point attempts.
Green is 2-0 in exhibition games at Illinois.
PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
All three returning fifth-year Illini players landed on Naismith Award position watch lists ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Makira Cook (Point Guard), Genesis Bryant (Shooting Guard), and Kendall Bostic (Power Forward) each earned spots on the 20-player list. Cook also was recognized to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's Player of the Year Watch List and Preseason All-Big Ten List for the second-consecutive year.Â
Freshman Berry Wallace was named to Shane Laflin's (Premier Basketball/ESPNW) 2024 NCAA Expected Impact Freshman List, featuring 10 college newcomers.
MILESTONE LOOKOUT
Several Illini have produced outstanding careers and are closing in on notable milestones. Senior Adalia McKenzie recorded the 1,000th point of her career – all at Illinois – in the Illini's WBIT first-round win over Missouri State. Senior Makira Cook scored her 1,500th career point on Senior Day against Nebraska, and she surpassed the 1,000-point mark as an Illini during Illinois' quarterfinal game at Tulsa on March 28. Senior Genesis Bryant eclipsed 1,000 points in her collegiate career during the Illini's win over Washington State in the WBIT semifinals.
Senior Kendall Bostic has tallied 1,011 career points and surpassed the 1,000-rebound mark with 17 boards against Missouri State on March 21. Bostic owns 918 points and 994 rebounds during her time at Illinois.Â
To date, 32 Fighting Illini players have scored 1,000 points during their career at Illinois. Only three players have scored 1,000 points and grabbed 1,000 rebounds at Illinois; they are the only players to record 1,000 boards as an Illini.
| Milestone Marks (exhibition stats don't count towards career numbers) |
| Name |
Career Points |
Career Rebounds |
Career Games/Starts |
Points at Illinois |
Rebounds at Illinois |
Games/Starts at Illinois |
| Makira Cook |
1,628 |
361 |
110/87 |
1,057 |
198 |
61/61 |
| Adalia McKenzie |
1,063 |
475 |
93/81 |
1,063 |
475 |
93/81 |
| Genesis Bryant |
1,031 |
241 |
99/53 |
952 |
204 |
65/53 |
| Kendall Bostic |
1,011 |
1,058 |
115/93 |
918 |
994 |
93/93 |
THE SHAUNA GREEN EFFECT
The Illini's 41 overall wins in Green's first two seasons are the program's most over a two-year span since the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 campaigns, when Illinois recorded 42 combined victories under Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz.
Illinois' 19 Big Ten regular-season victories over Green's first two seasons are the program's most over a two-year span since the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 campaigns, when Illinois totaled 20 conference wins under Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz.Â
INAUGURAL WBIT CHAMPIONS
Behind a big second-half surge, Illinois clinched the inaugural WBIT title in a 71-57 victory over Villanova at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday, April 3. The victory marked the program's first-ever postseason title.
After totaling five points through the first two quarters due to foul trouble, Makira Cook registered a game-high 27 points by pouring in 22 points in the second half. Shooting 7-for-11 from the floor over the final 20 minutes, Cook would be named the WBIT's Most Outstanding Player.
Genesis Bryant tallied 17 points in the championship and also finished the night with five rebounds and four assists. Kendall Bostic clinched a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. All three seniors would be named to the WBIT All-Tournament Team and announce their decisions to return as fifth-years at Illinois.
Illinois was the only team in the WBIT field to win a game at home, on the road, and at a neutral site.
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 fifth 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). In the Illini's 17 home games during the 2023-24 season, Illinois finished with a combined attendance of 63,242 for an average of 3,720 a game. 63,242 is now the fifth-best all-time attendance.
CONTRACT EXTENSION
Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced a two-year contract extension for women's basketball head coach Shauna Green, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees at its Nov. 14 meeting. Initially, the new agreement will keep Green on a six-year contract through at least the 2029-30 season. The agreement also provides Green the opportunity to earn up to four additional one-year extensions if certain performance thresholds are met.
Under Coach Green, Illinois has compiled a 41-25 record, including a 19-17 mark in Big Ten play. In two years under Green, the Illinois women's basketball team has registered 41 wins, the first-ever postseason championship in program history (2024 WBIT), and back-to-back top-five season attendances in State Farm Center. Over the last two seasons, Illinois has delivered two upsets of AP Top-15 ranked teams: No. 12 Iowa (1/1/23) and No. 14 Indiana (2/19/24).
FOREIGN TRIP
From August 2-12, the Illinois women's basketball team traveled to Europe for a foreign tour of Italy and Greece. The Fighting Illini grew on and off the court with exhibition games, educational tours, excursions, local cuisine, and authentic experiences on the schedule.
The WBIT championship run into April, 10 additional summer practices, and international exhibition games added extra opportunities for the team to grow and gel.Â
On August 4, the Illini earned a 67-65 victory over the Spain & Italy Select Team at a neutral court in Ponte Buggianese, Italy. Game two of the Illinois women's basketball foreign tour saw the Illini earn a 106-42 victory at Amilla Peristeriou on August 9. The win moved the Fighting Illini to 2-0 on the trip and Shauna Green is now 5-0 as the head coach in foreign tour games.
