CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - All three eligible Illinois Class of 2025 signees have earned recognition among the top high school players in the country as McDonald's All-American nominees: Manuella Alves, Naomi Benson, and Destiny Jackson. All three players are in the running for spots in the McDonald's All American High School Basketball Game, which is slated for April 1, 2025, at the Barclays Center in New York City.
To be eligible, nominees must have lived in the United States for one calendar year prior to their nomination and have attended a United States based high school for that one calendar year.
Alves, a native of Brazil who currently plays at IMG Academy in Florida, is a 6-foot-3 forward and consensus four-star recruit and was one of 29 players from the Sunshine State to secure a spot on the prestigious list.
A 6-foot-2 forward from Streetsboro, Ohio, Benson has averaged a double-double across her first three years in high school, is a three-time First Team All-District honoree, and was named the Metro Conference Player of the Year following the 2023-24 season. Benson is one of 10 Ohio nominees in the running to become a McDonald's All American.
Jackson will join the Illini from Chicago, where she plays for Whitney Young. A five-star recruit, Jackson is a three-time Chicago Public League champion and three-time First Team All-CPL honoree. The top-rated prospect in Illinois, Jackson was named to the Naismith Trophy Girl's High School Player of the Year preseason watch list and is one of 10 players from Illinois on the McDonald's All American nominees list.
The current Illinois women's basketball roster features six players who were formerly McDonald's All American nominees: Shay Bollin, Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, Adalia McKenzie, Lety Vasconcelos, and Berry Wallace. Wallace played in the 2024 McDonald's All American Games, the third Illini signee in program history to earn that distinction.
A total of 24 girls will be selected as McDonald's All Americans and play in the McDonald's All American Games on April 1. A selection committee featuring some of the top basketball experts from across the country will identify those final 24 players, with academic and scholastic achievement and behavior all significant factors in the decision-making process.
