Fighting Illini Set for In-State Showdown at Northwestern

Illinois at Northwestern
Date | Time	Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 | 7 p.m. CT
Location	Evanston, Ill. | Welsh-Ryan Arena
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Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 210-105 (.667), 11th season
Division I Record: 181-80 (.693), Ninth season
At Illinois: 54-30 (.643), Third season
Big Ten Record: 22-21 (.512), Third season

OPENING TIP

The 51st campaign of Fighting Illini women's basketball continues with Illinois staying in the Land of Lincoln to take on Northwestern on the road on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (1400 AM / 93.9 FM). Streaming, audio and stats links are also available at FightingIllini.com/wbb. 

• Illinois won 10 games before Christmas (Dec. 25) for the first time since 2022-23 and for the second time since 2006-07.
• Illinois has earned a win over a ranked opponent for the third consecutive season and is up to four under Green.
• Head coach Shauna Green earned her 200th win as a head coach on Nov. 14, 2024 vs. Eastern Illinois.
• The Fighting Illini have now been ranked in the Top 25 in all three seasons under Green.
• Illinois faced a ranked team in its Big Ten opener for the third straight season (#12/7 Ohio State, --/25 Michigan, #5/4 Indiana).
• Illinois returned four 1,000-career point scorers, tied for the most in the NCAA with Baylor, Notre Dame, and Kansas State.
• Illinois has won two Top-25 games in the same season for the first time since 2014-15. 
• Illinois' seniors (Cook, Bryant, McKenzie, Shoup-Hill, Bostic) have a combined 434 career starts (408 at Illinois) and played a combined 576 games (448 at Illinois).
• Kendall Bostic's 1,260 career rebounds rank second of all active NCAA D1 players.
• Illinois' free throws made per game mark of 16.33 ranks 13th in the NCAA.
• Illinois' 12.9 turnovers/game rank 25th in the NCAA.
• Illinois' free throw percentage of 79.0% ranks 6th in the NCAA and leads the Big Ten.
• Eight different Illini scorers have posted double-digit points in a game this season: Bostic, Bryant, Brown-Hagger, Cook, Dolan, McKenzie, Shoup-Hill, Wallace.
• The Fighting Illini return eight players from last year's WBIT Championship team while adding six newcomers – four freshmen and two transfers – into the mix.

ILLINI ON TV

Illinois will play its fourth game on national television when Illinois travels to Northwestern on Thursday night, with first tip slated for 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. The contest will be the fourth of eight nationally televised games that the Illini are currently set to play during the 2024-25 regular season:
» Nov. 7, 7 p.m. CT, vs. Marquette - Big Ten Network
» Dec. 8, 3 p.m. CT, at Ohio State - Big Ten Network
» Dec. 31, 12 p.m. CT vs. Washington - Big Ten Network
» Jan. 23, 7 p.m. CT, at Northwestern - Big Ten Network
» Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m. CT, vs. Purdue - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 16, 4 p.m. CT, vs. Nebraska - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 20, 8:30 p.m. CT, at UCLA - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 23, 3 p.m. CT, at USC - Fox Sports 1

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Currently on a five-game losing skid, Northwestern enters Thursday night's contest with a 7-10 overall record and an 0-6 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats are looking for their first win since Dec. 21, while they are also aiming to earn their first conference victory of the season.

Northwestern is 5-7 at Welsh-Ryan Arena during the 2024-25 campaign, including a win over Utah, which is receiving votes in the most recent AP Top 25 poll. The Wildcats have lost their last four home games, though, with the last triumph dating back to a 79-76 overtime victory over UNLV on Dec. 18.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFORMATION

Northwestern holds a 49-38 lead in the all-time series heading into the 88th all-time meeting between the sides on Thursday. After the Wildcats won 14-straight games against the Illini from 2015-2022, the Orange and Blue have won each of the last four games against NU, including two-consecutive victories against Northwestern on the road.

Illinois is 15-24 against Northwestern away from home, though the Illini are looking for three-consecutive road wins over the Wildcats for the first time since 2007-10.

LAST TIME OUT

Illinois fell to No. 22 Michigan State, 86-68, at State Farm Center on Sunday afternoon, snapping the Fighting Illini's two-game winning streak.

Recording her ninth-consecutive double-digit scoring game, Adalia McKenzie finished with 15 points, 14 of which came in the first half. McKenzie also logged three rebounds and two assists.

Kendall Bostic registered her 11th double-double of the season, tallying 20 points and 14 rebounds against the Spartans. She also made one steal and dished out an assist.

Jasmine Brown-Hagger amassed 12 points, a team-high four assists, two steals, and two rebounds. 

ILLINI CONTINUE TO BATTLE DESPITE INJURY BUG

Through the team's first 18 games of the season, Illinois has yet to have its full 14-player roster available. Holding an 13-5 record despite those setbacks, the Illini have remained resilient while battling injury issues throughout the first half of the campaign.

Seven different players have missed at least one game due to injury this season, including sophomore transfer center Lety Vasconcelos, who was expected to be a key piece in the rotation before suffering a season-ending ACL tear over the summer. On Jan. 8, the program announced that fifth-year Makira Cook (ongoing health condition) and sophomore Gretchen Dolan (knee) would both miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

Five-star freshman guard Berry Wallace (hand) missed seven of the first eight games, while junior forward Shay Bollin, who played in 29 games for the Illini last season, has yet to make an appearance during the 2024-25 campaign. Freshman Irene Noya Catoira sat out the first seven games of the year while recovering from injury, while guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger, who has since moved into the starting lineup, missed three games while working her way back from a concussion.

GREEN CONTINUES TO CLIMB PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME WIN LIST

Third-year head coach Shauna Green continues to move up the program's all-time wins list. After the Fighting Illini defeated Indiana away from home on Jan. 16, Green posted her 54th win at the helm of the program, which currently ranks as the sixth-most victories by an Illinois women's basketball head coach.

RANKED WINS UNDER COACH GREEN

For the first time since the 2014-15 campaign, the Fighting Illini have secured multiple ranked wins in a season following Illinois' 62-57 home win over No. 23 Iowa on Jan. 9. The Orange and Blue defeated No. 19 Florida State, 83-74, at State Farm Center on Nov. 7 to open the 2024-25 regular season.

The victory marked the fourth such triumph under third-year head coach Shauna Green, who guided the Illini to ranked wins over No. 12 Iowa (Jan. 1, 2023) during the 2022-23 slate and No. 14 Indiana (Feb. 19, 2024) during the team's 2023-24 schedule.

FIGHTING ILLINI SECURE FIRST ROAD WIN AT INDIANA SINCE 2012

Illinois led for the final 38 minutes of play en route to an emphatic 68-54 road win over Indiana at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Jan. 16. Ahead by as many as 15 in the contest, the Fighting Illini improved to 13-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play with their first Big Ten road victory of the campaign.

Four scorers for the Orange and Blue finished in double figures as the Illini recorded their first road win against Indiana since 2012 and their largest margin of victory against the Hoosiers away from home since 1999.

Kendall Bostic marked her return to her home state with a dominant 21-point, eight-rebound performance. A pest in the paint from start to finish, Bostic went 9-for-19 from the field, dished out three assists, and made one block while playing all 40 minutes. Adalia McKenzie tallied 15 points for her eighth-straight outing in double figures. Three of her five rebounds came on the offensive glass, and she amassed four assists.

Berry Wallace scored in double figures for the second time in her career and for the first time in Big Ten play, pouring in 13 points off the bench. A stretch of five-consecutive points in the fourth quarter swung the momentum back in the Illini's favor, and the freshman also connected on three 3-pointers, going 3-for-3 from deep, and finished with four rebounds and a steal.

Genesis Bryant ended the night with 12 points while equaling her season-best total with seven assists, and she also corralled three rebounds and snatched a steal. Jasmine Brown-Hagger logged seven points, including five in the fourth quarter, along with four assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

ILLINOIS FLIES PAST IOWA FOR SECOND RANKED WIN OF THE SEASON

Illinois earned its second ranked win of the season on Jan. 9 with a 62-57 victory over No. 23 Iowa at State Farm Center. Four Fighting Illini scorers finished in double figures as the Orange and Blue took down the ranked Hawkeyes and improved to 10-1 at home during the 2024-25 campaign.

Kendall Bostic secured her 10th double-double of the season, registering 17 points and 14 rebounds in the win. Going 8-for-12 from the field, Bostic also dished out three assists, made two steals, and bagged two blocks.

Scoring in double figures for the seventh-straight game, Adalia McKenzie ended the evening with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal while playing lockdown defense from start to finish.

Genesis Bryant logged nine of her 12 points in the second half, including seven points in the fourth quarter alone. Bryant also amassed a season-high four steals, three rebounds, and two assists.

Jasmine Brown-Hagger tallied 10 points, three assists, and a steal, while Berry Wallace collected seven points off the bench.

ILLINOIS FINISHES NONCONFERENCE SLATE WITH 10 WINS

For just the fourth time in program history, Illinois registered 10 wins in nonconference play, equaling the program's all-time record. The Fighting Illini last achieved the feat during the 2022-23 campaign in head coach Shauna Green's first season at the helm.

The Orange and Blue secured a 10-1 record against nonconference opponents, a stretch that included eight victories at home. Illinois opened its 2024-25 slate with a five-game homestand that featured three teams that played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Opening the season with a statement win over No. 19 Florida State, the Illini also earned triumphs against Marquette, Eastern Illinois, Le Moyne, and Oregon State in the team's 5-0 start.

After going 1-1 at the Music City Classic with a victory over UMES and a loss to No. 14 Kentucky, Illinois closed its nonconference schedule without five more triumphs, a stretch that began with a road win over Canisius. Returning to State Farm Center, the Orange and Blue rattled off wins over Bradley, Southern Indiana, and Southern to move to 10-1 in nonconference play. 

BOSTIC RANKS AMONG BEST IN THE NCAA

Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic ranks in the top 10 in the NCAA in four statistical categories – double-doubles, defensive rebounding average, rebounding average, and total rebounds – in addition to being in the top 50 in field goals,field-goal percentage, and minutes per game. Bostic ranks second in the Big Ten in minutes played per game, unheard of for a post player.

GREEN BECOMES JOINT-FASTEST ILLINI COACH TO 50 WINS

With Illinois' 73-50 win over Southern Indiana on Dec. 15, third-year head coach Shauna Green secured her 50th win at the helm of the program. Needing only 77 games to achieve that feat, Green became the joint-fastest Fighting Illini women's basketball coach in program history to reach 50 victories, tying the record that was set by Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz.

• T1. 77 games: Shauna Green
• T1. 77 games: Theresa Grentz
• 3. 83 games: Laura Golden
• 4. 94 games: Jane Schroeder
• 5. 102 games: Matt Bollant
• 6. 103 games: Jolette Law
• 7. 132 games: Kathy Lindsey

HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE

Starting the season 9-0 at home, Illinois won 13 consecutive games in State Farm Center between the end of the 2023-24 campaign and the first nine home games of the 2024-25 schedule. The streak ranks as the second-longest such stretch in program history and was the second-longest active streak in the Big Ten prior to the Illini's defeat against Washington on Dec. 31. Illinois is 33-9 in home games under Shauna Green. 

GREEN BECOMES FASTEST ILLINI COACH TO REACH 30 HOME WINS

With the Fighting Illini's 70-52 victory over Bradley at State Farm Center on Dec. 12, Illinois moved to 30-8 in home games under third-year head coach Shauna Green. Needing only 38 home games to reach the 30-win mark, Green became the fastest Illini head coach to achieve the feat in program history, surpassing the previous mark by one game.

Green's 2022-23 squad went 12-3 at State Farm Center in the first season under Green's guidance, while last year's 2023-24 Fighting Illini team recorded 12 home wins for the second-consecutive season, including two wins in the squad's postseason run to the inaugural WBIT title. With the Orange and Blue starting 6-0 at State Farm Center during the 2024-25 campaign, the Illini clinched 30 home wins in the span of just 38 games under Green.

COACH GREEN RETURNS TO HER ALMA MATER

The No. 21-ranked Illini picked up their first true road win of the season on Dec. 2 in a 68-55 victory over Canisius as Illinois third-year head coach Shauna Green returned to her alma mater. The Fighting Illini were the first-ever Division I ranked team to play at the Golden Griffins' Koessler Athletic Center. 

Illinois forced a season-high 23 Canisius turnovers and scored 18 points off those takeaways, while the Orange and Blue led for a total of 39:33 in the contest and did not trail. 

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 Nov. 26, 2023. The Illini won, 90-58. 

Illinois made a return trip to Canisius during the team's 2024-25 slate, with the Illini posting a 68-55 road win on Dec. 2. 

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. 

ILLINI EARN SPOT IN AP POLL FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE WEEKS

Fighting Illini women's basketball was ranked in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll for four consecutive weeks and earned spots in the Weeks 2-5 polls.

The highest Illinois has been ranked under Green was the team's 2024-25 Week 4 No. 19 mark, while the previous high of No. 21 came back during the 2022-23 campaign. The highest ranking in program history is No. 5, which came on Dec. 8, 1997.

Illinois has been ranked in nine combined AP polls under Green. In 2022-23, the Illini appeared in four Top-25 polls, followed by the preseason rankings in 2023-24, and most recently the Week 2-5 polls in 2024-25.

The Illini have now appeared in 72 AP polls all-time across 11 different seasons.

Week 2: No. 23
Week 3: No. 22
Week 4: No. 19
Week 5: No. 21

BOSTIC EARNS FIRST-CAREER B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD (NOV. 25)

Kendall Bostic delivered a spectacular Week 2 performance on the court to earn the first Big Ten Player of the Week award of her career. The fifth-year senior led the Illini to a 2-0 week after averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds, and one steal while posting zero turnovers as the Fighting Illini climbed to 5-0 after downing their third 2024 NCAA Tournament team of the season.

The Kokomo, Ind., native shot 83.9% from the floor on 26-of-31 attempts and connected on all four of her free-throw attempts. No other Big Ten player was more efficient at a high volume than Bostic, as she made more combined field goals across the week (26) than all but two Big Ten players attempted. Additionally, she was the only Big Ten player with two 20-point games during the week.

In the Illini's first game of the week, a blowout win over Le Moyne on Nov. 18, Bostic registered the 36^th double-double of her career, scoring 25 points (11-for-13 FG) and grabbing 12 rebounds in 23 minutes of action.

In Illinois' handing of Oregon State on Nov. 22, Bostic became just the fourth player in program history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds as an Illini. Bostic is also now second on Illinois' career rebounding list (1,045). She scored a career-high 31 points in the victory over the Beavers and grabbed eight rebounds in 32 minutes of work.

ILLINOIS WINS ALL FIVE GAMES DURING SEASON-OPENING FIVE-GAME HOMESTAND

Beginning the 2024-25 regular season with a stretch of five home contests, the Fighting Illini took care of business and went 5-0, which saw the Illini earn wins over three 2024 NCAA tournament teams.

Illinois started the campaign with a ranked victory over #19 Florida State (Nov. 7) before defeating Marquette by double digits three days later. Triumphs over Eastern Illinois (Nov. 14) and Le Moyne (Nov. 18) followed, and the Orange and Blue concluded their homestand with a dominant 19-point win over an Oregon State team that advanced to the Elite 8 at the 2024 NCAA tournament.

The victory over the Beavers (Nov. 22) helped the Illini improve to 5-0 on the season, marking the second 5-0 start under third-year head coach Shauna Green.

TOP HOME ATTENDANCES

Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green has re-energized the women's basketball fan base and delivered two of the top five home attendances in program history through just 70 games at Illinois. Green's teams have drawn attendances of 13,486, 11,563, and 8,141 across the last three seasons - all three are in the top 13 of all-time largest home game attendances for the program.

The 2024 game vs. Le Moyne that drew 13,486 fans set a new single-game attendance record for home nonconference games at Illinois.

COACH GREEN SECURES 200TH CAREER WIN

Fighting Illini women's basketball head coach Shauna Green won the 200th game of her career on Nov. 14, 2024, with an 84-37 victory over Eastern Illinois. Of the 200 wins, Green won 44 of those as the head coach at Illinois. Green tallied 127 victories at Dayton (2016-22) and the first 29 tallies came during her tenure at Loras College (2005-07).

In terms of wins with her current assistant coaches, 126 victories came with DeAntoine "Cat" Beasley on the bench, followed by 123 with Calamity McEntire, 22 alongside Britney Anderson, 22 with Emily Durr as an assistant (70 total with her on staff), and three of those wins were accompanied by Liza Fruendt.

ILLINOIS OPENS REGULAR SEASON WITH RANKED WIN

The Fighting Illini started the 2024-25 season with a statement win, taking down No. 19/19 Florida State, 83-74, at State Farm Center on Nov. 7. Four Illini scored in double figures in the ranked nine-point win, including 20-point outings for both Makira Cook and Adalia McKenzie, while the home side never trailed in the contest.

Kendall Bostic (18 points) and Gretchen Dolan (11 points) also finished with double-digit points, which helped the Illini pick up a ranked win for the third consecutive season.

BOSTIC REACHES 1,000 CAREER REBOUNDS

Kendall Bostic became the fourth player in program history to reach 1,000 career rebounds with the Illini, achieving the feat during Illinois' 83-74 victory over No. 19 Florida State on Nov. 7. Bostic joined Jenna Smith (1,217), Karisma Penn (1,043), and Cindy Dallas (1,014) on the exclusive list.

Bostic has continued to climb the program's career rebounding list and now ranks second all-time.

RANKED WINS CONTINUE TO ROLL IN (NOV. 7)

With the Illini's 83-74 season-opening victory over No. 19 Florida State on Nov. 7, Illinois has now registered a win over a ranked opponent for the third consecutive season, the longest streak since the 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 campaigns.

The streak began on Jan. 1, 2023, when the Illini took down No. 12 Iowa, 90-86, for the program's first ranked win since 2019. Illinois defeated No. 16 Indiana on Feb. 19, 2024, in dominant fashion, 86-66, before Illinois' win over the Seminoles solidified that three-season streak.

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 respective 20-player lists. 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. 

Freshman Berry Wallace was named to Shane Laflin's (Premier Basketball/ESPNW) 2024 NCAA Expected Impact Freshman List, featuring 10 college newcomers.

1,000 POINT SCORERS & REBOUNDING

Entering the 2024-25 campaign, Illinois has four players with 1,000+ career points scored. All four (Bostic, Bryant, Cook, McKenzie) have now scored 1,000 during their Illini tenures as well.

To date, 34 Fighting Illini players have scored 1,000 points during their career at Illinois, and only four players have scored 1,000 points and grabbed 1,000 rebounds at Illinois. Kendall Bostic became the fourth player in program history to join the 1,000/1,000 club as an Illini, earning a spot on the exclusive list that features Jenna Smith, Karisma Penn, and Cindy Dallas.

THE SHAUNA GREEN EFFECT

The Illini's 41 overall wins in Green's first two seasons were 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. 

HOME ATTENDANCE NUMBERS

Across 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' 2023-24 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 last 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.

Illinois' season-opener against Florida State drew a crowd of 3,741 to surpass last year's season-opening mark by over 1,000 fans. With 13,486 fans in attendance for Field Trip Day; 4,914 fans in the stands of State Farm Center for Pack the House; and 5,896 fans on hand against Michigan State on Jan. 19, Illinois' season average is 4,918 per game through 12 home regular-season contests.

CONTRACT EXTENSION

Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced a two-year contract extension for women's basketball head coach Shauna Green, which was approved 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 Green, Illinois owns a 54-30 record, including a 22-21 mark in Big Ten play. In the first two years under Green, the Illinois women's basketball team 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 three seasons, Illinois has delivered four upsets of AP Top-20 ranked teams: No. 12 Iowa (1/1/23), No. 14 Indiana (2/19/24), No. 19 Florida State (11/7/24), and No. 23 Iowa (1/9/25).

PRO ILLINI

Illinois women's basketball is represented at the professional level across multiple continents. Former Illini center Camille Hobby joined the professional ranks after spending her fifth year of college at Illinois. Hobby plays for PAOK in Greece. Adrienne Williams Godbold, a guard at Illinois from 2009-13, plays in the Puerto Rican BSNF for Hatillo. Brandi Beasley, a guard at Illinois from 2016-20, plays for CJS Geispolsheim in France. Brittany Carter, who played at Illinois from 2014-15, now plays for GIE Cibao Immortals in the Dominican Republic and was the 2024 league MVP. Rebecca Harris, a guard at Illinois from 2006-08, plays for the Bay Area Phoenix in the Women's Premier Basketball Association (WPBA), helping them to a championship. Harris has also played in the Athletes Unlimited League.