Illini Conclude Three-Game Homestand on Tuesday vs. Rutgers

Game 26: [RV/--] Illinois (17-8, 7-7) vs Rutgers (9-16, 1-13)
Date | Time	Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 | 6 p.m. CT
Location	Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center
Tickets	Single Game
Promotions	TikTok Day | Digital Game Program
Stream	Big Ten Network | WATCH
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Listen | Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 390
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Rosters	Illinois | Rutgers
Game Notes	Illinois | Rutgers
Stats	Illinois | Rutgers
Record Books	Illinois | Big Ten | NCAA
Availability/Interviews	Media Availability (2/16/26) | YouTube Playlist
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Social Media	@IlliniWBB  | @IlliniWBB  | Facebook  | YouTube

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 236-118 (.670), 12th season
Division I Record: 207-93 (.695), 10th season
At Illinois: 80-43 (.661), Fourth season
Big Ten Record: 37-31 (.556), Fourth season

THE NEXT WIN WOULD...

• Move the Illini to 7-9 all-time vs. Rutgers
• Improve Green to 6-0 overall vs. Rutgers
• Move Illinois to 4-4 vs. Rutgers in Champaign
• Move Illinois to 51-14 in home games under Green
• Move Green's career record to 237-118 in 12 seasons
• Improve Green to 38-31 in Big Ten games
• Move Green's DI record to 208-93 in 10 seasons
• Move Green's Illinois record to 81-43
• Give Illinois WBB an all-time record of 727-783
• Move UI to 15-3 vs. unranked teams this season

OPENING TIP

The 52nd campaign of Illinois women's basketball continues on Tuesday, Feb. 17, when Illinois hosts Rutgers at 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Mike Koon (PxP) and Kendall Bostic (analyst) 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
• Back-to-back seasons with multiple ranked wins for first time since 1999-01.
• Illinois has been ranked by the AP during all 4 seasons under Green
• Achieved the third sell out of State Farm Center in program history and first under Shauna Green on Feb. 8, 2026 with all 15,544 seats sold for the game vs. USC.
• 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)

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-15, 1-13) head to Champaign with one conference victory — a 76-72 triumph at Penn State on Jan. 18. This also accounts for Rutgers' lone road win.

The Scarlet Knights are led in scoring by Nene Ndiaye, a forward averaging 14.7 points per game. 6-foot-3 Imani Lester leads the rebounding effort with 5.6 boards per game.

Head Coach Coquese Washington is in her fourth season at the helm of the Rutgers program. The Knights have a record of 41-80 under her leadership. Washington previously led Penn State for 12 seasons, leading the Lions to two NCAA Sweet Sixteens.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFO

Illinois and Rutgers have a history dating back to February 2015 in the Scarlet Knights' first year in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers leads the all-time series 9-6 with a 4-3 record in Champaign. Yet, the Illini have won the last five meetings, with Shauna Green's squads being responsible for all five victories.

BLOWING BY THE BADGERS

Illinois used highly-efficient shooting to cruise past Wisconsin 90-62 in Wednesday's matchup in State Farm Center. The Illini shot a remarkable 64.7% from three, led by Aaliyah Guyton, whose 6-for-6 shooting from deep led to a career-high 22 points. Guyton's 100% 3-point percentage is the best (min. 6 makes) in program history.

Six Illini scored in double-digits, all making at least one three. Freshman Cearah Parchment recorded her ninth double-double of the year, turning in 12 points and a career high 15 rebounds. Parchment reached double-double status in the second quarter with 7:29 remaining on the clock. Meanwhile, Maddie Webber scored 15 points on an efficient 7-9 night from the field.

Wednesday night's victory gave Illinois the all-time series lead between the programs, 43-42. The triumph was Shauna Green's 50th home victory at Illinois.

THIRD SELLOUT IN PROGRAM HISTORY

The Sunday, Feb. 8 game vs. USC marked the third sellout in the history of Illinois Women's Basketball and the first instance under Shauna Green. The sellout was the first since the 1998-99 campaign.

The attendance of 15,544 became the first Big Ten game of the 2025-26 season to surpass 15,000 fans. It also made Illinois the fourth team in NCAA women's basketball to have multiple games with 14,000+ in attendance this season.

The previous two sellouts of State Farm Center for Illinois women's basketball games occurred under Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz. Most recently, on Feb. 21, 1999, an attendance of 16,450 saw the Illini take down the Iowa Hawkeyes. Two seasons prior, on Feb. 23, 1997, 16,050 fans attended an Illinois vs. Purdue showdown.

Green has now drawn the three largest crowds in State Farm Center at its current 15,544 capacity (2/8/26: 15,544; 11/18/25: 14,361; and 11/18/24: 13,486) and owns three of the top-five single-season attendances in program history.

Illinois women's basketball has now achieved back-to-back seasons surpassing total attendances of 80,000 for the second time in program history and first time since the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons. The 2025-26 squad achieved the feat with three home games remaining.

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 81.8% mark from the stripe.

BERRY WALLACE'S SOPHOMORE SURGE

Through 25 games of the 2025-26 campaign, Fighting Illini sophomore Berry Wallace is averaging 18.8 points per game up from 9.0 ppg last season, despite being at the top of every opponents' scout.

Along with her 19.0 points, Wallace is averaging 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks across 34.9 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 49.9% FG, 34.7% 3FG, and 85.0 FT% through 25 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 13 20-point games on the season.

20-POINT GAMES

Berry Wallace's team-leading 13 20-point games across the 2025-26 season rank as the sixth-most in the Big Ten and tie for 23rd-most across NCAA DI this season. Wallace along with Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge, Penn State's Kiyomi McMiller, and Michigan's Olivia Olson are leading the Big Ten lead of freshmen and sophomores with 20-point games this season and rank fourth, seventh, and 10th across the NCAA.

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 four 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 16 games in 2025-26 including a pair of 20-point outings. The junior is averaging 11.3 ppg across 25.1 mpg and is shooting marks of 46.2% FG, 40.0% 3FG, and 77.1% 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 STANDOUT

Destiny Jackson is one of 20 players across D1 averaging at least 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in the NCAA and averages the second-fewest turnovers per game (2.2). Jackson is averaging 30.8 minutes per game, the fifth-fewest minutes among the group.

Jackson is the only Power 4 freshman across NCAA D1 averaging at least 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, and is one of two freshmen overall (Kaylinn Kemp, SFA).

NCAA FRESHMAN DOUBLE-DOUBLES

Fighting Illini rookie Cearah Parchment has recorded nine double-doubles across her freshman campaign. That mark ranks as tied for the fifth-most among all NCAA freshmen and leads all Big Ten freshmen. Additionally, nine double-doubles is the most among Illinois freshmen since at least 2019-20. Kennedi Myles (2019-20) most recently recorded eight double-doubles as a rookie.

REGULAR SEASON BIG TEN WINS 

In her fourth season at Illinois, head coach Shauna Green has led the Fighting Illini to a 37-31 regular season record against the Big Ten. Those 37 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.

RANKED WINS UNDER COACH GREEN

Illinois' first ranked win of 2025-26 came over No. 7/6 Maryland, the first top-10 win for Illinois since 2012-13. The victory also marked the highest-ranked Big Ten win in program history. The Illini added another ranked road win at #25/24 Washington on Feb. 1.

In 2024-25, when Illinois went on the road and upset No. 14 Maryland in College Park, Green's unit became the first team since 1999-2000 to win three games vs. AP Top-25 ranked teams. Green led the team to a fourth ranked win in the NCAA Tournament First Round as Illinois took down No. 23 Creighton, which secured a ranked win at home, away, and in a neutral setting. Four ranked wins in a single season tied the program record (1999-00).

The latest win marked the eighth such triumph under fourth-year head coach Shauna Green, who guided the Illini to ranked wins six times in Big Ten play.

Green's eight wins over ranked teams are the second-most in Illinois program history behind Theresa Grentz' 26. Overall, Green is 8-21 against top-25 foes.