Fighting Illini Host #2/2 UCLA on Wednesday

Game 21: RV/RV Illinois (15-5, 5-4) hosts #2/2 UCLA (19-1, 9-0)
Date | Time	Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 | 6 p.m. CT
Location	Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center
Tickets	Single Game
Promotions	Hail To The Orange Out & Orange Krush Philantrophy Night | Digital Game Program
Stream	Big Ten Plus | B1G+ App | WATCH
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Listen | Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 83
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Rosters	Illinois | UCLA
Game Notes	Illinois | UCLA
Stats	Illinois | UCLA
Record Books	Illinois | Big Ten | NCAA
Availability/Interviews	Media Availability (1/27/26) | YouTube Playlist
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniWBB  | @IlliniWBB  | Facebook  | YouTube

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 234-115 (.670), 12th season
Division I Record: 205-90 (.695), 10th season
At Illinois: 78-40 (.661), Fourth season
Big Ten Record: 35-28 (.556), Fourth season

THE NEXT WIN WOULD...

• Move the Illini to 4-2 all-time vs. UCLA
• Improve Green to 1-1 overall vs. UCLA
• Move Illinois to 3-0 vs. UCLA in Champaign
• Move Illinois to 50-12 in home games under Green
• Mark UI's first 6-4 B1G start since 2022-23
• Move Green's career record to 234-111 in 12 seasons
• Improve Green to 36-28 in Big Ten games
• Move Green's DI record to 206-90 in 10 seasons
• Move Green's Illinois record to 79-40
• Give Illinois WBB an all-time record of 725-780
• Move UI to 2-4 vs. ranked teams this season

OPENING TIP

The 52nd campaign of Illinois women's basketball continues on Wednesday, Jan. 28, when Illinois hosts #2 UCLA for a 6 p.m. CT game on B1G+ from State Farm Center. Mike Koon (PxP) and Kendall Bostic (color) 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 has a ranked win all 4 seasons under Green
• Illinois has been ranked during all 4 seasons under Green
• The Illini's 11-game win streak was the longest single-season streak and tied the longest win streak that spanned the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons
• 10 noncon wins tied program record
• Illinois went a perfect 6-0 in December
• Best 14-game start in program history at 13-1
• Matched best 15-game start at 13-2
• Illinois' 3-0 start in Big Ten play was the program's best start since a 4-0 start during the 1999-2000 season
• The Illini faced a 3-game 7-day span vs. ranked opponents (#7/6 Maryland, at #24/19 Michigan State, #19/19 Ohio State)
• Illinois' next 2 opponents are ranked

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

UCLA is off to a 19-1 start on the season including a 9-0 reading in Big Ten play. The Bruins and Illini both have shared wins against Penn State, Maryland, Purdue, and Northwestern. UCLA owns a 13 game win streak. Head coach Cori Close is in her 15th season in Los Angeles and  has led the Bruins to the Final Four last season and the Sweet 16 or better in each of the past three seasons.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFO

Illinois leads the all-time series against UCLA, 3-2, with Wednesday's game marking the sixth all-time meeting. The Illini lead 2-0 when the series has been played in Champaign. Prior to last season's meeting as Big Ten foes, the most recent meeting between the Illini and Bruins came during the 2004-05 campaign.

BEST 20-GAME STARTS

Illinois women's basketball has recorded a 15-5 record through 20 games played each of the past two seasons.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

Since the arrival of Shauna Green, Illinois has taken care of the basketball at an elite clip, turning in three straight seasons ranked with the second fewest turnovers in the Big Ten. The staff's goal is 13 turnovers or less per game and the Orange and Blue have averaged below that all three seasons completed seasons. 

EFFICIENCY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE

Green's Illini have been incredibly efficient from the free throw line. Illinois has led the Big Ten in free throw shooting the last two completed seasons and is doing so once again in 2025-26. The Illini's numbers from 2023-24 and 2024-25 are the two best completed single-season free throw percentages in program history. Following the holiday break, Illinois leads Division I with an 83.2% mark from the stripe.

3-TIME BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Fighting Illini rookie Cearah Parchment turned in a career day in Illinois' near comeback on the road at No. 24 Nebraska on Saturday. For her performance, the Big Ten office announced her as Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday afternoon.

For games from Jan. 19-25, Parchment averaged 25.0 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 58.8 FG%, 50.0 3FG%, and 75 FT%.

On Saturday, Parchment recorded a career-high 25 points along with 11 rebounds (6 offensive) for her sixth double-double of the season, and second-straight game with one. The Canadian scorched the nets, going 10-for-17 from the field, 2-for-4 from 3-point range, and 3-for-4 at the free throw line.

The Jan. 26 accolade marks the third Big Ten Freshman of the Week recognition of the season for Parchment and fourth overall for the Fighting Illini.

BERRY WALLACE'S SOPHOMORE SURGE

Through 20 games of the 2025-26 campaign, Fighting Illini sophomore Berry Wallace is averaging 19.8 points per game up from 9.0 ppg last season, despite being at the top of every opponents' scout.

Along with her 19.8 points, Wallace is averaging 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks across 34.6 minutes per game. The Pickerington, Ohio, native opened the season with four consecutive 20-point outings, including the first double-double of her career in the Orange and Blue's season opener. Wallace is shooting a scorching 52.8% FG, 36.4% 3FG, and 87.4 FT% through 20 games.

Wallace's four straight 20-point games to open the season made her the only player in a P4 + Big East conference to do so. The sophomore is up to 12 20-point games on the season.

MADDIE WEBBER OFF THE BENCH

After starting 47 games across her two seasons at Villanova, Maddie Webber has embraced a new role at Illinois and is owning it. Webber become an instant spark for the Fighting Illini off the bench and is putting up a strong argument to be considered the sixth player of the year. Webber came off the bench for the first 17 games of the season and earned her first start as an Illini at Michigan due to a starter being out with injury. Beginning with the game vs. Northwestern, Webber asked to come off the bench for Illinois. Webber is one of just six P4 players across NCAA DI averaging 11.3+ points per game that has started 1 or fewer games this season.

Webber has scored in double figures 12 games in 2025-26 including a pair of 20-point outings. The junior is averaging 11.3 ppg across 24.2 mpg and is shooting marks of 45.7% FG, 44.3 3FG, and 74.1% FT. Webber exploded for 17 points in the fourth quarter at Michigan State on Jan. 4, the most points in a frame under Green.

FRESHMAN STANDOUTS

Destiny Jackson is one of 24 players across D1 averaging at least 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in the NCAA and averages the seventh fewest turnovers per game (2.4). Jackson is averaging 29.6 minutes per game, the seventh-fewest minutes among the group.

Jackson is the only freshman across D1 averaging at least 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. 

REGULAR SEASON BIG TEN WINS 

In her fourth season at Illinois, head coach Shauna Green has led the Fighting Illini to a 35-27 regular season record against the Big Ten. Those 35 victories are already third all-time among Illinois head coaches. 

YOUNGEST TEAM

Green's fourth Illini squad is by far her youngest, with an average age of 19.83 years as of the start of the 2025-26 campaign. This places Illinois as the third-youngest roster in the Power 4 + Big East behind Kansas State (19.78) and Creighton (19.79). Providence (19.91), Louisville (19.91), and Pittsburgh (19.91) are all tied as the fourth-youngest team while Wake Forest (19.95), NC State (19.97), and North Carolina (19.98) rounded out the teams with average starting ages under 20 for the 2025-26 season.

Only two players — redshirt-sophomore Gretchen Dolan and graduate student Gisela Segura — started the season above the age of 21 for the Fighting Illini. Segura is the team's oldest, celebrating her 23rd birthday in December. 

Meanwhile Cearah Parchment is the youngest player on the team, starting the season at 18 years, four months. She was born on July 4, 2007, just five days after the launch of the iPhone.