| Illinois Starters Last Game (2023-24 Stats) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Season Note |
| G |
3 |
Makira Cook |
5-6 |
Sr. |
16.1 |
3.1 |
4.3 |
Registered postseason program-record 10 assists vs. Stony Brook |
| G |
1 |
Genesis Bryant |
5-6 |
Sr. |
14.1 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
Had team-high 19 points at [3] Tulsa on March 28 |
| G |
24 |
Adalia McKenzie |
5-10 |
Jr. |
11.3 |
4.9 |
2.2 |
Totaled career-high 28 points vs. Stony Brook |
| F |
44 |
Kendall Bostic |
6-2 |
Sr. |
12.0 |
10.8 |
1.8 |
Has a double-double in 8 of last 10 games |
| F |
41 |
Camille Hobby |
6-3 |
5th |
9.3 |
4.7 |
0.3 |
First career double-double vs. Maryland (2/11/24) |
Career Record:Â 196-100Â (.662), 10th season
Division I Record: 167-75 (.690), Eighth season
At Illinois: 40-25 (.615), Second season
Big Ten Record: 19-17 (.528), Second season
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
- Villanova heads into Wednesday's championship clash contest with a 22-12 record and a 11-7 mark in BIG EAST play during the 2023-24 season.
- The No. 4 seed in the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament, the Wildcats fell to No. 5-seeded Marquette in their first game of the competition.
- As one of the First Four Out of the NCAA Tournament, Villanova earned a No. 1 seed in the WBIT.
- The Wildcats recorded one ranked win during the regular season, a win over No. 22 Marquette, 66-63, on Jan. 17.
- Villanova's path to the WBIT title game featured three home wins – a 75-60 win over VCU in the first round, a 73-55 victory against Virginia in the second round, and a 67-59 triumph over Saint Joseph's in the quarterfinals – and a 58-53 win over Penn State in the semifinals.
- This will be the Wildcats' second game against a Big Ten foe this season, with the lone other meeting coming in the WBIT semifinals in a win over Penn State.
ALL-TIME SERIES INFO
Wednesday's contest will be the second-ever meeting between the two programs. The two sides squared off in Champaign on Dec. 3, 1988, when the Illini defeated the Wildcats, 69-60. This will be Illinois' second contest against a BIG EAST team this season, with the first game dating back to the team's second game of the 2023-24 campaign against Marquette.
THE ROAD TO HINKLE
After earning a No. 4 seed and an at-large bid to the inaugural WBIT, the Illini began their tournament run with a come-from-behind win over Missouri State at State Farm Center on March 21. Illinois trailed by as many as 11 but bounced back in the second half to secure a 74-69 first-round win over the Lady Bears.
The Illini then took on Stony Brook, which entered the contest with only two road losses on the season. The Orange and Blue never trailed and advanced to the quarterfinals in dominant fashion, clinching a 79-62 victory on March 24 to earn a spot among the final eight teams in the competition.
Illinois then played its first road game of the tournament, traveling to take on a [3] Tulsa team that had only lost once on its home court all season. That did not faze the Illini, though, as they led by as many as 16 and booked its spot in the WBIT semifinals in Indianapolis with a 69-61 road win over the Golden Hurricane on Thursday night.
Making the quick trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the WBIT semifinals, Illinois took on a Washington State team that had earned a No. 1 seed in the competition. Unfazed, the Illini led for the final 38 minutes in its 81-58 win over [1] the Cougars on Monday evening, giving the Illini the opportunity to play for a championship later this week.
| Round |
Opponent |
Score |
NET |
Final Record |
| First Round |
Missouri State |
74-69 |
108 |
23-10 |
| Second Round |
Stony Brook |
79-62 |
72 |
28-5 |
| Quarterfinals |
at [3] Tulsa |
69-61 |
115 |
25-10 |
| Semifinals |
vs. [1] Washington State |
81-58 |
29 |
21-15 |
BREAKING DOWN THE WBIT
The Illinois women's basketball team was selected to play in the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), and the Illini earned the opportunity to host their first two games of the competition. The Illini traveled to Tulsa for their quarterfinals appearance before earning the opportunity to go to Indianapolis for the final two rounds of the competition. Illinois secured a spot in the championship game after taking down [1] Washington State on Monday.
The Illini are one of two Big Ten programs competing in this year's WBIT, as Penn State was selected as No. 1 seed in the event. The Nittany Lions fell in the WBIT semifinals to Villanova, which Illinois will face in the championship game on Wednesday.
The Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) is a newly created 32-team postseason single-elimination tournament owned and sponsored by the NCAA. The competition is the second-best women's basketball postseason tournament available (behind the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament) and is in its first year of existence.
Created to ensure equity between the NCAA's men's and women's basketball postseason opportunities, the WBIT does not replace any existing event and will instead be held as a separate NCAA-funded entity.
The WBIT features 32 teams and will run from the first round (March 21) through the championship game (April 3). The single-elimination tournament features 16 seeded teams, with the top four seeded teams in four separate sections of the bracket.
The first three rounds will take place on campus sites, while the semifinal and championship games will take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. In each of the first three rounds, the higher-seeded team with an available facility will host the contest at campus sites.Â
All games for the duration of the WBIT will be broadcast on ESPN platforms. The preliminary-round games (first round, second round, and quarterfinals) will be available for streaming on ESPN+. The two semifinal games will air on ESPNU, while the championship will air nationally on ESPN2.
ILLINOIS' POSTSEASON HISTORY
Illinois has secured postseason appearances in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2006-07 and 2007-08, when the Illini made the WNIT in consecutive campaigns.
The last time Illinois women's basketball hosted a postseason game, the Illini hosted the first two rounds of the 2012-13 WNIT and advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The Illini sit at 18-5 all-time in postseason home games, while Illinois is 54-59 overall in postseason history.
- Big Ten Tournament record: 21-28
- NCAA Tournament record: 8-9
- Postseason WNIT record: 11-8
- WBIT record: 4-0
- Other postseason tournaments: 10-14Â
Across the NCAA Tournament, WBIT, WNIT, and IAIAW postseason events, Illinois has hosted during 14 different seasons for a total of 23 games, including the team's first- and second-round games of this season's WBIT.
- IAIAW: 3 (1975, 1976, 1980)
- WNIT: 7 (2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013)
- WBIT: 1 (2024)
- NCAAT: 3 (1987, 1997, 1998)
Monday's win over Washington State marked Illinois' first-ever game played in April, while the Illini are making their first-ever appearance in the championship round of a non-conference postseason tournament.
The Illini are making their WBIT debut this season.
LAST TIME OUT
[4] Illinois led for the final 38 minutes in its 81-58 win over [1] Washington State in the WBIT semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Monday evening, giving the Illini the opportunity to play for a championship later this week. Four Illini scorers finished in double figures as the Orange and Blue advanced to the championship game of a non-conference postseason event for the first time in program history.
Pouring in double figures for the 10th game in a row, Makira Cook led all scorers with a team-high 20 points, 16 of which came in the first half. Genesis Bryant made three 3-pointers and finished with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Adalia McKenzie, who scored 14 points on 60% shooting, has now reached the double-digit scoring mark in each of the Illini's first four WBIT games. Camille Hobby registered 12 points and eight rebounds, while Kendall Bostic collected seven points and nine rebounds. Gretchen Dolan added seven points and two steals off the bench.
ALL-BIG TEN ILLINI
Makira Cook earned second-team honors, Kendall Bostic was tabbed second team by the media and honorable mention by the coaches, Genesis Bryant was recognized as honorable mention in both polls, and Gretchen Dolan was tabbed to the All-Freshman Team by the coaches. Bostic was also honored with her third consecutive Sportsmanship Award.
Dolan is the 15th Illinois freshman – and first since 2017 – to land on the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team. Of the 14 prior honorees, 10 went on to score 1,000 points as an Illini.
MILESTONE LOOKOUT
Several Illini have produced outstanding careers and are closing in on notable milestones. Junior 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 Sunday 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 on Monday.
Senior Kendall Bostic has tallied 996 career points, though she surpassed the 1,000-rebound mark with 17 boards against Missouri State on March 21. Bostic owns 903 points and 979 rebounds during her time at Illinois.
To date, 32Â 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;Â they are the only players to record 1,000 boards as an Illini.
THE SHAUNA GREEN EFFECTÂ
The Illini's 40Â overall wins in Green's first two seasons are the program's most over a two-year span since the 1999-2000Â and 2000-01Â campaigns, when Illinois also recorded 40Â combined victories.
Illinois' 19Â 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
CONSISTENCY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
As a team, Illinois has shot 79.9% from the free-throw line this season. That mark ranks as the sixth-best percentage in the nation and top mark in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini have connected on 425-of-532 attempts from the stripe.
The program's single-season free-throw percentage record sits at 77.1. That mark was achieved by both the 2007-08 (448-of-581) and 2016-17 (290-of-376) Illinois squads.
Illinois connected on 230-of-270 free throws during Big Ten play during the 2023-24 campaign. The mark of 85.185% is a new Big Ten record for league play. The previous record of 85.163% was set by Iowa during the 2021-22 campaign on 287-of-337 shooting.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
This season, Illinois is averaging just 12.4 turnovers per game - a mark that is tied for the 15th-best mark in the nation as of April 2. That number is second-best in the Big Ten behind only Michigan State at 11.9 per game.
SENIOR DAY SENDOFF
A free throw from Makira Cook with 35.1 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in Illinois' 74-73 victory over Nebraska in a back-and-forth Senior Day contest at State Farm Center on Sunday.
The Fighting Illini held the Cornhuskers without a field goal for the final five minutes and scoreless for the final two-and-a-half minutes, as the hosts closed the contest on a 6-0 run en route to the one-point victory.
Leading for only 89 seconds in the fourth quarter, Illinois held the advantage as the clock hit zero for the team's first home victory over the Cornhuskers in over seven years. The Orange and Blue honored six seniors and fifth-years postgame, while the hosts had three scorers finish in double figures.
The Illini defense came up clutch down the stretch, holding the Cornhuskers to 31.8% from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range over the final 10 minutes of play.
ALL EYES ON THE ILLINIÂ
Illinois' road contest at No. 4 Iowa aired nationally on FS1 and brought in 816,000 viewers, making it the most-watched women's basketball game in the network's history.Â
The Illini's 2023-24 regular-season campaign features 10 nationally televised games: six on Big Ten Network, two on FS1, one on Fox, and one on NBC. The Orange and Blue's home game against Ohio State was streamed on Peacock.Â
VISITING THE HAWKEYESÂ
In a road loss at No. 4 Iowa, Makira Cook recorded a season-most and game-high 26 points, which also marked the most by a visiting player at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season. One of only two players to outscore reigning National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark in a game during the 2023-24 campaign, Cook has averaged 20.4 points per game against ranked opponents this season. The Fighting Illini defense tied its season-high tally of 11 steals. Illinois held Clark to her second-fewest points and her third-worst shooting performance in the 101-85 road defeat.Â
On the offensive end of the floor, the Orange and Blue recorded at least 85 points for the third consecutive conference contest, their longest streak with that scoring mark since the 1998-99 campaign. Winners of five of their last eight, the Illini head into the final week of Big Ten regular-season play ranked sixth in scoring among conference teams since Jan. 28.Â
TAKING DOWN THE HOOSIERS
Illinois secured its first ranked win of the season with an 86-66 victory over No. 14/12 Indiana at State Farm Center on Feb. 19. Leading for the final three quarters, all six Illini players who saw the court finished in double figures. With the 20-point win, the Orange and Blue snapped a 16-game skid against the Hoosiers and clinched their biggest margin of victory over a ranked opponent since 1998.
Illinois has picked up wins over ranked opponents in consecutive seasons for the first time since doing so in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 campaigns.
TAMING THE LIONS
Five Illini scorers finished in double figures as Illinois took down Penn State, 86-71, away from home at Bryce Jordan Center on Feb. 15. Leading by as many as 20 and holding an advantage for the final 16:21, the Orange and Blue secured their third conference road victory with four regular-season games to play.
Adalia McKenzie recorded a team-high 18 points after totaling 10 points at the halftime intermission, and she has now finished in double figures in all but one Illini road game this season.Â
Illinois secured back-to-back wins over Penn State for the first time since 2009. The Illini have won consecutive games over the Nittany Lions by double digits for the first time since 1997-98. The Orange and Blue gave the Nittany Lions just their third home loss of the campaign.
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 18 of the last 19Â games for the Illini, with 10 of those games taking place away from home. Across the 19-game span, Cook is averaging 17.5Â points/game, 4.9Â assists/game, and 2.9Â rebounds/game.
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
POINTS |
REBOUNDS |
ASSISTS |
| 1/14/24 |
at Northwestern |
18 |
1 |
7 |
| 1/17/24 |
Rutgers |
12 |
0 |
7 |
| 1/20/24 |
at [NR/RV] Maryland |
13 |
1 |
3 |
| 1/25/24 |
#12/12 Ohio State |
16 |
7 |
5 |
| 1/28/24 |
Minnesota |
22 |
3 |
4 |
| 1/31/24 |
at Michigan |
20 |
5 |
6 |
| 2/5/24 |
at Purdue |
14 |
3 |
8 |
| 2/8/24 |
Northwestern |
19 |
0 |
3 |
| 2/11 |
Maryland |
4 |
3 |
2 |
| 2/15 |
at Penn State |
16 |
2 |
2 |
| 2/19 |
#14/12 Indiana |
22 |
1 |
4 |
| 2/25 |
at #4/4 Iowa |
26 |
3 |
3 |
| 2/29 |
at Michigan State |
15 |
4 |
8 |
| 3/3 |
Nebraska |
20 |
6 |
5 |
| 3/7 |
vs. Maryland |
17 |
5 |
8 |
| 3/21 |
Missouri State |
27 |
3 |
2 |
| 3/24 |
Stony Brook |
14 |
5 |
10 |
| 3/28 |
at Tulsa |
17 |
3 |
1 |
| 4/1 |
vs. Washington State |
20 |
1 |
5 |
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 played her 100th career game on Jan. 28, 2024, against Minnesota and has broken into numerous top-10 lists as an Illini. The post has recorded 31 double-doubles, which ranks 7th on UI's all-time list. (^ indicates Illinois single-season record)
| SEASON |
GAMES PLAYED |
POINTS/GAME |
FIELD GOAL % |
REBOUNDS/GAME |
| 2021-22 |
27 |
6.7 |
49.4% |
11.4^ |
| 2022-23 |
32 |
10.2 |
62.9%^ |
9.8 |
| 2023-24 |
33 |
12.0 |
60.2% |
10.8 |
| AT ILLINOIS |
92 |
9.8 |
58.6% |
10.6 |
FOUR-STRAIGHT WINS AGAINST NORTHWESTERN
Illinois secured the season sweep over Northwestern, taking down the Wildcats, 82-71, at State Farm Center on Feb. 8.
Adalia McKenzie reached double figures for the third game in a row, recording 12 points in the second quarter before finishing with a team-high 20 points, which tied her season-best mark. Shooting 70% from the field, McKenzie also amassed five rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, along with two assists and two steals.Â
The Illini captured their fourth consecutive win over the Wildcats, the team's longest winning streak over Northwestern since securing 21-straight victories from 1997-2010. Thursday's win also marked the first time winning back-to-back games against Northwestern in Champaign since 2009-10.
WOLVERINE ROAD KILL
Four Illini scorers finished in double figures to give Illinois a 77-64 road win over Michigan at Crisler Center on Jan. 31, snapping the Orange and Blue's seven-game skid against the Wolverines.
The Fighting Illini scored on their first eight possessions and never looked back, holding a lead for the final 39:24 to hand Michigan just its second home loss of the campaign. Illinois secured its second conference away win of the year and picked up its first victory over the Wolverines since 2015. Last Wednesday's decision marked Illinois' first win over the Wolverines in Ann Arbor since Feb. 4, 2008.
LARGEST COMEBACK WINS UNDER SHAUNA GREEN
Thursday night's 74-69 win over Missouri State matched the second-largest deficit Illinois has overcome to win a game under head coach Shauna Green. The Illini trailed by as many as 11 points at 30-19 in the second quarter and again by double digits in the second half. Illinois outscored the Lady Bears 42-32 in the second half after trailing by five at halftime.
After trailing by as many as 11 points with 2:42 left in the third quarter, Illinois women's basketball came all the way back against Minnesota on Sunday, Jan. 28, to secure a 73-68 victory. Illinois closed the third quarter on a 9-2 run to pull within 54-50 entering the final 10 minutes of play. After tying the game at 62-62 ahead of the media timeout at 4:52, Illinois would never trail again. Beginning with the tying basket, Camille Hobby tallied 6 of Illinois' final 13 points while 5 came from Genesis Bryant, and 2 from Makira Cook. Illinois led by as many as 7 points in the fourth quarter before securing the 5-point win. The 11-point deficit is the second-largest Illinois has overcome with Shauna Green at the helm.
During Green's first season as head coach of the Fighting Illini, Illinois overcame a 12-point deficit on the road at Nebraska on Feb. 9, 2023. Illinois trailed by 12 points with 44 seconds remaining in the first half before cutting the deficit to 8 points at the break. Nebraska pushed its lead back to 11 with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter and led by 10 points with just 1:43 remaining in the third period. Illinois tied the game at 51-51 with 9:19 to go in the contest and would never trail again en route to a 72-64 win. The Illini led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter of the victory.
| RANK |
OPPONENT |
LARGEST DEFICIT |
FINAL SCORE |
| 1. |
at Nebraska (2/9/23) |
12 (2Q, :44) |
72-64 |
| 2. |
Missouri State (3/21/24) |
11 (2Q, 7:05) |
74-69 |
|
Minnesota (1/28/24) |
11 (3Q, 2:42) |
73-68 |
CALAMITY MCENTIRE NAMED TO THE ATHLETIC'S TOP-20 ASSISTANT COACHES LIST
On Jan. 29, The Athletic's Chantel Jennings released a top-20 list of women's college basketball assistant coaches on the rise. The alphabetical list featured Illinois women's basketball's second-year associate head coach Calamity McEntire. McEntire is one of five staffers from current Big Ten teams on the list. Parameters for coaches featured on the list are coaches who have never led their own NCAA programs.
From The Athletic: "McEntire began her career as a manager for Pat Summitt at Tennessee from 2001 to 2003. For the next 14 seasons, she served as an assistant and recruiting coordinator all over the country and in several conferences (Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara, Arizona and Hawaii). In 2017, she joined Shauna Green's staff at Dayton, where she helped establish the Flyers in the Atlantic 10, winning the conference four times. When Green was hired by Illinois, she quickly hired McEntire. Last season, the Illini recorded their best season in 20 years, finishing fifth in the Big Ten and punching a ticket to the NCAA Tournament (their first since 2003). Athletic directors take notice of coaches like McEntire, who have experience at the mid-major and high-major levels and have helped establish programs."
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 47th 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.
PEEBLESÂ ONÂ 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.
| RANK |
GAMES PLAYED |
PLAYER |
SEASONS |
| 1. |
135 |
Lacey Simpson |
2005-10 |
| 2. |
130 |
Jenna Smith |
2006-10 |
| 3. |
129 |
Karisma Penn |
2009-13 |
| 4. |
127 |
Lydia McCully |
2007-12 |
| 5. |
126 |
Amber Moore |
2009-14 |
| 6. |
124 |
Jada Peebles |
2019-Present |
| 7. |
122 |
Ali Andrews |
2017-20 |
|
122 |
Courtney Joens |
2017-20 |
|
122 |
Tauja Catchings |
1997-2000 |
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.
BRYANT GOES FOR 30, TWICE IN 3 GAMES
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.
Two games later, 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.
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). In the Illini's 17Â home games this season, Illinois finished with a combined attendance of 63,242Â for an average of 3,720Â a game. 63,242 is now the fifth-best all-time attendance.
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
| TEAM |
RECORD |
COACH |
PREVIOUS JOB |
| Florida State |
23-10 |
Brooke Wyckoff |
Florida St. (Assc. HC) |
| Illinois |
22-10 |
Shauna Green |
Dayton |
| Mississippi State |
22-11 |
Sam Purcell |
Louisville (Assc. HC) |
| Georgia |
22-12 |
Katie Abrahamson-Henderson |
UCF |
| Oklahoma State |
21-12 |
Jacie Hoyt |
Kansas City |
| Towson |
21-12 |
Laura Harper |
Coppin State |
| Harvard |
20-12 |
Carrie Moore |
Michigan (Ast. Coach) |
| Missouri State |
20-12 |
Beth Cunningham |
Duke (Ast. Coach) |
| Chattanooga |
20-13 |
Shawn Poppie |
Virginia Tech (Assc. HC) |
| Syracuse |
20-13 |
Felisha Legette-Jack |
Buffalo |
