Akina Wellere enters her first season with Illinois women's basketball, serving as an graduate assistant for the program. 

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Wellere graduated from St. John's University in 2019 with a degree in finance. She played basketball for the Red Storm from 2015-2019, making 128 appearances and earning 92 starts. She helped St. John's to a 2016 BIG EAST Championship and NCAA tournament berth and two WNIT appearances, including a quarterfinals appearance in 2018.