[8] Fighting Illini Set for NCAA Tournament Second Round Matchup at [1] #5/5 Texas

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Illinois Starters Last Game


Pos.
No.
Name
Ht.
Yr.
PPG
RPG
APG
SPG
BPG
MPG
Season Note


G
1
Genesis Bryant
5-6
5th
15.2
3.5
4.0
1.1
0.1
34.3
All-Big Ten Second Team honoree; 10+ points in 13 straight games


G
24
Adalia McKenzie
5-10
Sr.
13.5
4.9
3.4
1.1
0.1
33.5
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention; 25 games with double-digit points this season


F
20
Berry Wallace
6-1
Fr.
8.9
3.1
0.8
0.4
0.2
25.3
Has started the last five games, the first three starts of her collegiate career


F
23
Brynn Shoup-Hill
6-3
Sr.
5.3
5.6
1.0
0.5
0.9
28.7
Has 8+ rebounds in nine games this season


F
44
Kendall Bostic
6-2
5th
15.8
11.3
1.9
0.7
1.0
35.1
Named to All-B1G First Team for the first time in her career; holds program records for career rebounding and double-doubles

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 219-109 (.668), 11th season
Division I Record: 190-84 (.693), Ninth season
At Illinois: 63-34 (.649), Third season
Big Ten Record: 30-24 (.556), Third season
NCAA Tournament Record (at Illinois): 1-1 (.500), Second appearance
NCAA Tournament Record (Overall): 2-4 (.333)

OPENING TIP

The 51st campaign of Fighting Illini women’s basketball continues in the NCAA Tournament on Monday afternoon, when [8] Illinois takes on [1] No. 5 Texas at 1 p.m. CT in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The contest will air on ESPN from Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (1400 AM / 93.9 FM). 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 six 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 multiple Top-25 games in the same season for the first time since 2014-15.
Illinois has won four Top-25 games in the same season, tying the program record set in 1999-2000.
The Fighting Illini’s eight-game Big Ten winning streak (Jan. 9 – Feb. 16), is a new program record.
Needing just 25 games to reach a 20-win season, the 2024-25 Illini squad matched the program record for quickest to 20 victories.
Illinois’ four team turnovers in its 67-55 win over Penn State (2/13/25), set a new program single-game record.
Illinois’ seniors (Cook, Bryant, McKenzie, Shoup-Hill, Bostic) have a combined 486 career starts (460 at Illinois) and played a combined 628 games (500 at Illinois).
Kendall Bostic’s 1,408 career rebounds rank second of all active NCAA D1 players and is the active Big Ten-leading mark.
On Jan. 27, 2025, Kendall Bostic grabbed the 1,218th rebound of her Illinois career and broke Jenna Smith’s all-time Illinois record of 1,217 boards.
Also on Jan. 27, 2025, Bostic moved into third place on the Big Ten’s career rebounding list, surpassing Indiana’s Denise Jackson (1981-84) at 1,273 rebounds.
Kendall Bostic owns 54 double-doubles across her Illinois career, a new program record.
Illinois’ free throws made per game mark of 14.61 ranks 30th in the NCAA.
Illinois’ 12.4 turnovers per game rank 20th in the NCAA.
Illinois’ free throw percentage of 79.5% ranks 5th in the NCAA and leads the Big Ten.
The Fighting Illini lead the Big Ten with a 28.4% 3-point defensive rate, ranking 47th in the NCAA.
Eight different Illini scorers have posted double-digit points in a game this season: Bostic, Bryant, Brown-Hagger, Cook, Dolan, McKenzie, Shoup-Hill, Wallace.
Illinois won its first NCAA Tournament game since March 17, 2000, against [9] No. 23 Creighton.

BY THE NUMBERS: NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTABLES

The Illini earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in program history.
Illinois advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in program history.
After winning its first NCAA Tournament game since 2000 on Saturday, Illinois is seeking its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1998.

The Illini aim to progress to the Sweet 16 for the third time: 1997 and 1998.


The Illini are a No. 8 seed in the competition, their highest seed since being a No. 6 seed in 2000.
Illinois is a No. 8 seed for the thirrd time in program history (1986, 1987, 2025).
The Illini are 3-2 when playing as the No. 8 seed.

UI is 0-2 when playing as the No. 8 seed against the No. 1 seed.


Illinois is 0-2 in the 1/8 game (includes years when only 40 teams were invited to the NCAA Tournament).
The Illini are 9-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
Illinois is 2-4 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.

ILLINOIS RETURNS TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

The Illinois women’s basketball team is going dancing once again, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in program history. The Fighting Illini will make their first appearance in the first round of the NCAA Tournament since 2003 after playing in the First Four of the 2022-23 event.

The Orange and Blue entered the NCAA Tournament with a 21-9 record, with their 21 regular-season wins tying the program record. The Illini won their first NCAA Tournament game since 2000 on Saturday, while the Illini are making their second appearance in the national competition under third-year head coach Shauna Green.

During the 2024-25 regular season, Illinois registered three ranked wins, their most in a single campaign since 1999-2000; equaled the program record with 10 nonconference victories; and set a new program record with an eight-game Big Ten winning streak that spanned from Jan. 23 through Feb. 16 en route to going 11-7 in league play. The Illini finished in a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten standings and recorded a single-digit seed for the third consecutive conference tournament for the first time since doing so in six straight seasons from 2005-10.

Illinois enters the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Second Round with a 9-9 all-time record in the event. The Illini are making their second appearance in a three-year span for the first time since earning four consecutive bids during the 1996-97 through 1999-2000 campaigns.

ILLINOIS NCAA TOURNAMENT ALL-TIME RESULTS

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY


Season
Date
Illinois’ Seed
Round
Opponent
Score


1981-82
3/14/82
No. 7 seed
First Round (Lexington, Ky.)
[2] Kentucky
L, 80-88


1985-86
3/12/86
No. 8 seed
First Round (Athens, Ohio)
[9] Ohio
W, 69-68



3/15/86
No. 8 seed
Second Round (Athens, Ga.)
[1] Georgia
L, 64-103


1986-87
3/11/87
No. 8 seed
First Round (Champaign, Ill.)
[9] Bowling Green
W, 80-64



3/13/87
No. 8 seed
Second Round (Auburn, Ala.)
[1] Auburn
L, 58-92


1996-97
3/14/97
No. 4 seed
First Round (Champaign, Ill.)
[13] Drake
W, 79-62



3/16/97
No. 4 seed
Second Round (Champaign, Ill.)
[5] Duke
W, 85-67



3/22/97
No. 4 seed
Sweet 16 (Iowa City, Iowa)
[1] UConn
L, 73-78


1997-98
3/14/98
No. 3 seed
First Round (Champaign, Ill.)
[14] Green Bay
W, 82-58



3/16/98
No. 3 seed
Second Round (Champaign, Ill.)
[11] UC Santa Barbara
W, 69-95



3/21/98
No. 3 seed
Sweet 16 (Nashville, Tenn.)
[2] North Carolina
L, 74-80


1998-99
3/12/99
No. 7 seed
First Round (Clemson, S.C.)
[10] Louisville
W, 69-67



3/14/99
No. 7 seed
Second Round (Clemson, S.C.)
[2] Clemson
L 51-63


1999-2000
3/17/00
No. 6 seed
First Round (Ames, Iowa)
[11] Utah
W, 73-58



3/19/00
No. 6 seed
Second Round (Ames, Iowa)
[3] Iowa State
L, 68-79


2002-03
3/22/03
No. 9 seed
First Round (Knoxville, Tenn.)
[8] Virginia
L, 56-72


2022-23
3/15/23
No. 11 seed
First Four (South Bend, Ind.)
[11] Mississippi State
L, 56-70


2024-25
3/22/25
No. 8 seed
First Round (Austin, Texas)
[9] Creighton
W, 66-57

LAST TIME OUT

[8] Illinois earned its first NCAA Tournament win since 2000, battling to a 66-57 first-round victory over [9] No. 23 Creighton at Moody Center on Saturday night.

The Fighting Illini led for the final 34 minutes, registering their fourth ranked triumph of the season with the nine-point win over the Bluejays. 

Genesis Bryant registered double-digit points for the 13th game in a row, leading the Orange and Blue in scoring with 17 points while knocking down two 3-pointers. Bryant made six clutch free throws down the stretch to seal the victory, and she also added four assists and a rebound.

Kendall Bostic became the program’s all-time double-doubles leader with the 54th such performance of her career. Grabbing a season-high 17 rebounds, the most by an Illini in an NCAA Tournament ever, Bostic also collected 12 points, two assists, two blocks, and a steal.

Adalia McKenzie poured in 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out two assists, and corralled one steal.

Berry Wallace marked her NCAA Tournament debut with 11 points while going 4-for-8 from the field. She also corralled five rebounds and tallied one assist.

Brynn Shoup-Hill logged nine points, while both of her rebounds came on the offensive glass. Making two 3-pointers in the third quarter that swung the momentum back into the Illini’s favor, Shoup-Hill also tacked on an assist and a block.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Texas enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the second straight year after advancing to the Elite Eight as the top seed last season. The Longhorns, who earned a share of the SEC regular-season title in their inaugural campaign in the conference, are 32-3 overall and posted a 15-1 mark in SEC play. Texas advanced to the second round with a 105-61 win over William & Mary on Saturday night.

UT is undefeated at Moody Center (16-0) this season, while the Longhorns entered the NCAA Tournament with 10 ranked wins. Texas has not left the top 7 in the AP poll during the 2024-25 campaign, including two weeks as the top team in the nation.

The Longhorns had three players on the Associated Press’ All-America teams, including First Team selection Madison Booker. Booker, a sophomore forward, was named the SEC Player of the Year and averages 16.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks. Booker was joined on the AP All-America team by Honorable Mention selections senior guard Rori Harmon and senior forward Taylor Jones.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFORMATION

The Illini and the Longhorns will square off for the fourth time in series history, with UT holding a 3-0 edge all-time. Illinois will take on Texas for the first time since the 2000-01 season, while the Orange and Blue will play the Longhorns in Austin for the first time since Dec. 4, 1999, the lone road matchup between the sides.

WBIT/WNIT SUCCESS –> NCAA TOURNAMENT

Illinois women’s basketball is the fourth team since 2017-18 to reach the championship game of the second-level postseason tournament and translate that experience into an NCAA Tournament win the next season. The Illini are the sixth team to advance to the WNIT/WBIT championship that went on to play in the NCAA Tournament the following season.

BOSTIC NAMED ALL-B1G FIRST TEAM, THREE EARN ALL-B1G HONORS

Following a historic third regular season under the leadership of head coach Shauna Green, three Fighting Illini student-athletes secured All-Big Ten accolades from the conference’s coaches and media. 

Kendall Bostic earned first-team honors (coaches and media) for the first time in her career, Genesis Bryant claimed a spot on the second team (coaches and media) for the second time in her career, and Adalia McKenzie was an honorable mention (media) honoree for the second time. Bostic was Illinois’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient for the fourth straight year

Bostic became the 18th student-athlete in program history and the second under Green to garner All-Big Ten First Team status, as the fifth-year forward led the conference during the regular season in minutes/game (35.0), rebounds/game (11.3), defensive rebounds/game (9.0), double-doubles (19), total rebounds (327), defensive rebounds (262), and minutes (1,015).

Bryant was a member of the All-Big Ten Second Team for the second time after also garnering that distinction in 2022-23. Bryant led the team all season as the squad’s only true point guard while playing a position she had not taken on since high school. Bryant has amassed 23 double-digit scoring efforts while logging 20+ points on nine occasions and 30+ points once.

McKenzie secured All-Big Ten Honorable Mention status for the second time in her career, earning the recognition by the media for her efforts on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Playing in every game of her four-year Illinois career thus far, McKenzie scored in double figures 23 times, registered three 20-point efforts during the 2024-25 campaign, and notched one double-double.

FIGHTING ILLINI FINISH REGULAR SEASON WITH 21 WINS, 11 B1G VICTORIES

Illinois equaled its program record with 21 victories during the regular season, entering the postseason with a 21-8 record and an 11-7 mark in Big Ten play. The Orange and Blue recorded 21 regular-season wins for the third time in program history, equaling the all-time mark that was set by both the 1999-2000 and 2022-23 teams. The Illini reached that threshold in only 26 games, the fewest by any team in the program’s history. 

Totaling 20+ wins for just the ninth time in program history and for the second time in three years under head coach Shauna Green, the Illini recorded their fourth-most conference victories during the 2024-25 campaign. The team’s 11 Big Ten wins marked the eighth time in program history that the Illini posted double-digit conference triumphs.

ILLINOIS SETS PROGRAM RECORD WITH EIGHT-STRAIGHT B1G WINS

For the first time in program history, Illinois secured eight Big Ten victories in a row, which the Illini achieved with their 77-68 win over Nebraska on Feb. 16. Breaking the previous mark of seven-consecutive conference triumphs, the Orange and Blue won four road games and four home contests en route to the new program record.

During that historic stretch, Illinois has outscored opponents by an average of 15.4 points; shot 44.3% from the field, 42.0% from 3-point range, and 81.9% from the free throw line as a team; and averaged 17 assists and 11.6 forced turnovers per game. Four players averaged over 10 points per game during the eight-game winning streak, with Genesis Bryant leading the way with 16.9 points per game.

ILLINOIS’ RECORD-SETTING EIGHT-GAME B1G WINNING STREAK


Date
Opponent
Score


Jan. 23, 2025
at Northwestern
85-60


Jan. 27, 2025
Purdue
74-38


Jan. 30, 2025
at Rutgers
69-65 (OT)


Feb. 2, 2025
at No. 14 Maryland
66-65


Feb. 6, 2025
Northwestern
73-60


Feb. 9, 2025
at Wisconsin
74-51


Feb. 13, 2025
Penn State
67-55


Feb. 16, 2025
Nebraska
77-68

ILLINI CONTINUE TO BATTLE DESPITE INJURY BUG

Through the team’s first 31 games of the season, Illinois has yet to have its full 14-player roster available. Holding an 22-9 record despite those setbacks, the Illini have remained resilient while battling injury issues throughout the campaign.

Eight different players have missed at least one game due to injury or illness 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. Illinois is now 11-5 since announcing Cook and Dolan would miss the remainder of the 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. The latest Illini to miss a game was Cori Allen against No. 23 Creighton on Saturday.

BOSTIC MOVES ATOP PROGRAM’S CAREER REBOUNDING LIST

Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic became the Fighting Illini’s career rebounding leader during Illinois’ game against Purdue on Jan. 27. After tying the previous mark in the first half, Bostic secured her record-breaking board in the third quarter, which saw her climb to 11 rebounds on the night and 1,218 rebounds across her time with the Orange and Blue.

Bostic surpassed Jenna Smith on the program’s all-time rebounding list. Smith, who played at Illinois from 2006-10, posted 1,217 rebounds across her career; Bostic entered Illinois’ game against Purdue needing 10 rebounds to tie the record and 11 rebounds to pass it.

Bostic is the fourth player in program history to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds while playing for the Illini.

With a program-record 1,327 rebounds during her time with the Fighting Illini, the Kokomo, Indiana, native sits in third place on the Big Ten’s career rebounding rankings, only behind Iowa’s Megan Gustafson (1,460) and Ohio State’s Jantel Lavender (1,422). Bostic has amassed 1,391 career rebounds across her four seasons at Illinois and one season at Michigan State.

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 No. 23 Creighton on Saturday, Green posted her 63rd win at the helm of the program, which currently ranks as the fifth-most victories by an Illinois women’s basketball head coach.

ALL-TIME WINS BY ILLINOIS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACHES


Rank
Illini Head Coach
Wins
Number of Seasons
Tenure


1
Theresa Grentz
210
12
1995-2007


2
Laura Golden
83
6
1984-1990


3
Jane Schroeder
73
5
1979-1984


4
Jolette Law
69
5
2007-2012


5
Shauna Green
63
3 (Active)
2022-Present


6
Matt Bollant
61
5
2012-2017


7
Kathy Lindsey
50
5
1990-1995


8
Nancy Fahey
42
5
2017-2022


9
Carla Thompson
33
3
1976-1979


10
Steven Douglas
25
3
1974-1976

SHARP SHOOTING FROM BEYOND THE ARC

Fighting Illini fifth year Genesis Bryant has been instrumental for the Orange and Blue from beyond the 3-point line. Through 96 games at Illinois, Bryant has connected on 205 3-pointers, which currently ranks third on UI’s career list.

Bryant connected on 72 3-pointers in 2022-23, her first year at Illinois (178 att., 40.4%). As a senior in 2023-24, she tallied 65 makes from deep (188 att., 34.6%). This year, Bryant has made 68 3-pointers on 172 attempts for a 39.5% clip.

ILLINOIS’ CAREER MADE 3-POINTER LEADERS


Rank
Player
Years
Games
Makes


1
Amber Moore
2009-14
126
295


2
Lori Bjork
2005-08
97
214


3
Genesis Bryant
2022-Present
96
205


4
Krist Reinking
1994-98
111
194


5
Mandy Cunningham
1990-94
110
168

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. 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 ties the program record (1999-00).

The victory marked the sixth 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.

RANKED WINS UNDER HEAD COACH SHAUNA GREEN


Date
Opponent
Score
Location


Jan. 1, 2023
No. 12 Iowa
90-86
State Farm Center


Feb. 19, 2024
No. 14 Indiana
86-66
State Farm Center


Nov. 7, 2024
No. 19 Florida State
83-74
State Farm Center


Jan. 9, 2025
No. 23 Iowa
62-57
State Farm Center


Feb. 2, 2025
at No. 14 Maryland
66-65
XFINITY Center (College Park, Md.)


March 22, 2025
vs. No. 23 Creighton
66-57
Moody Center (Austin, Texas)

ILLINI FREE THROW SHOOTING IMPROVES SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER COACH GREEN

Since head coach Shauna Green took over the helm of the program, several Illinois student-athletes have made significant strides at the charity stripe while also getting to the free throw line more than ever. 

Adalia McKenzie has made huge jumps in her three seasons under Green’s guidance. After going 57.6% from the line as a freshman in 2021-22, McKenzie drastically improved when Green arrived on campus, with the Minnesota native shooting 64.6% as a sophomore. She then posted a 73.7% clip as a junior and, thus far in her senior season, is 76.6% from the stripe, an improvement of 19 percentage points since her first year with the program.

Kendall Bostic has not only become more efficient at the free throw line; she has also found herself at the stripe at a career-best rate. After shooting less than 70% at the line in her first two seasons in Champaign, Bostic has shot over 80% (82.5% in 2023-24 and 84.6% in 2024-25) across the past two years. She has already attempted a career-most 65 free throws this season while making 55 of those attempts, both of which are new career-best marks.

As a team, the Illini set a new program record after shooting 79.5% from the line across all games last season. Their 85.2% (230-for-270) mark in conference play during the 2023-24 campaign secured a new Big Ten single-season record. Illinois currently leads Big Ten teams with an 79.5% free throw percentage across all games this season.

BOSTIC EARNS SPOT ON MCCLAIN AWARD TOP-10 CANDIDATES LIST

Fighting Illini fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic has been named one of the top 10 candidates for the Katrina McClain Award Power Forward of the Year, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Feb. 6.

In addition to her recognition as a Top 10 candidate for the McClain Award, Bostic has already earned Big Ten Player of the Week, AP Player of the Week Honorable Mention, and Her Hoops Stats Midseason First Team All-Big Ten honors in her final collegiate campaign. Bostic was also part of the 20-player McClain Power Forward Preseason Watch List.

One of two honorees from the Big Ten, Bostic is the first player in program history to be named a top 10 candidate for any Basketball Hall of Fame’s Naismith Starting 5 award.

Now in its eighth year, the McClain Award honors the legacy of Katrina McClain, who was a two-time All-American, 1987 National Player of the Year, and Class of 2012 Hall of Famer. The award is given annually to the top power forward in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.

BOSTIC NAMED TO WOMEN’S COLLEGE ALL-STAR GAME WATCH LIST

Fighting Illini fifth year Kendall Bostic has been named to the Women’s College All-Star Game Watch List presented by Herbalife. The Kokomo, Ind., native was one of 68 players appearing on the watch list that represented 51 different programs and 15 conferences.

At the time of the announcement, Bostic was averaging 16.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 34.5 minutes per game across her final year of collegiate basketball. She has started 115 consecutive games since transferring to Illinois ahead of her sophomore season and now holds the program’s career rebounding record. Bostic is shooting 53% from the field, 30.4% from 3-point range, and 87.5% from the free throw line this season. She owns 49 career double-doubles, all coming with the Orange and Blue. The same day Bostic broke Illinois’ program rebounding record, she moved into third place on the Big Ten’s all-time boards list.

So far, in her final campaign, Bostic has earned Big Ten Player of the Week, AP Player of the Week Honorable Mention, Her Hoops Stats Midseason First Team All-Big Ten, and McClain Power Forward Watch List honors.

The 2025 Women’s College All-Star Game will feature the top senior standouts. Of the more than 60 players that appear on the watch list, 20 will ultimately be selected to participate in the event on Saturday, April 5, in Tampa. The game will tip at 3 p.m. ET and air on ESPN2.

BRYANT EARNS BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD (FEB. 3)

For the third time in her career, Genesis Bryant has earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors, the conference office announced Monday. Putting together three phenomenal performances in Illinois’ 3-0 week, Bryant led the Fighting Illini to two road wins in addition to the program’s first-ever win over Maryland – marking Illinois’ third win over an AP Top-25 ranked team this season.

Bryant averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.33 assists, 0.67 steals, 36.6 minutes, and a 1.17 assist-turnover ratio across the 3-0 week. She shot 44.4% (20-for-45) from the field, 55.6% (10-for-18) from 3-point range, and 91.7% from the free throw line.

The Jonesboro, Georgia, native posted 36.6 minutes per game across the three victories, playing all 45 minutes in Illinois’ overtime win over Rutgers and all 40 in the Illini’s road triumph against No. 14 Maryland, the program’s first-ever victory against the Terrapins.

Across the week, Bryant posted her sixth and seventh 20-point outings of the season, and she has now scored in double figures 16 times and in each of her last four appearances.

Bryant was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time since doing so in back-to-back weeks during the 2022-23 season (Dec. 27, 2022, and Jan. 2, 2023). She is the second Illini to earn Big Ten Player of the Week status this season, joining fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic, who earned the accolade on Nov. 25.

BOSTIC, MCKENZIE NAMED TO HER HOOP STATS MIDSEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS

Fifth year forward Kendall Bostic has earned All-Big Ten First Team honors from Her Hoops Stats, while senior guard Adalia McKenzie was tabbed with honorable mention accolades.

The Fighting Illini’s career rebounding leader, Bostic is averaging a double-double – 15.8 points and 11.3 rebounds – and was one of six players to earn a spot on the first team. Bostic’s scoring average is on pace to break her career-best total by over three points, while her 11.3 rebounds would be her second-best single-season tally. With 19 double-doubles this season, the Kokomo, Indiana, native joins USC’s Kiki Iriafen and Juju Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Michigan State’s Julia Ayrault, and Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon on the first team.

McKenzie has filled up the stat sheet in her final season with the Orange and Blue, averaging 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while scoring in double figures in 23 games thus far.

ILLINOIS TAKES DOWN THE NO. 14 TERPS AWAY FROM HOME

Illinois secured its first ranked road win since 2019 with a dramatic 66-65 victory over No. 14 Maryland at XFINITY Center on Feb. 2.

With three lead changes in the final 60 seconds, Genesis Bryant knocked down two free throws with six seconds remaining to give the Fighting Illini their first-ever win against the Terrapins and their third ranked triumph of the season.

Playing all 40 minutes, Bryant finished with a game-high 20 points while making two 3-pointers and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Scoring 10 points in the third quarter alone, Bryant also amassed four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Berry Wallace continued to make clutch plays for the Orange and Blue, with the true freshman recording 14 points to along with a career-high four 3-pointers. She also collected two rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal.

Brynn Shoup-Hill knocked down a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to give the Illini a late lead. She logged seven points, two assists, and a block, and five of her eight rebounds came on the offensive glass.

Kendall Bostic posted her fifth consecutive double-double, concluding the afternoon with 13 points and 14 rebounds. She also tallied two assists and a block across her 40 minutes of action.

Adalia McKenzie filled the stat sheet with nine points, a career high-tying seven assists, and three rebounds.

The Illini shot 10-for-21 from 3-point range in the road victory, while they turned 10 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.

BOSTIC RANKS AMONG BEST IN THE NCAA

Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic ranks in the top six 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. She has also joined the scoring conversation with the 13th-most points in the Big Ten and 13th-most points per game. Bostic also leads the Big Ten in minutes played per game, unheard of for a post player. 

BOSTIC RANKS AMONG BEST IN THE NCAA


Stat Category
NCAA Rank
B1G Rank
Value


Double-doubles
5th
1st
20


Defensive Rebounds Per Game
2nd
1st
9.1


Rebounds Per Game
10th
1st
11.3


Rebounds 
7th
1st
350


Minutes Per Game
47th
1st
35.17


Field Goal Percentage
44th
4th
53.3


Field Goals
57th
6th
211


Points  Per Game
135th
13th
15.8


Points
152nd
13th
490

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

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 36th 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 also scored a career-high 31 points in the victory over the Beavers and grabbed eight rebounds in 32 minutes of work.

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.

Milestone Marks


Name
Career Points
Career Rebounds
Career Games/Starts
Points at Illinois
Rebounds at Illinois
Games/Starts at Illinois


Makira Cook
1,723
376
118/95
1,152
213
69/69


Adalia McKenzie
1,482
628
124/112
1,482
628
124/112


Genesis Bryant
1,501
348
130/84
1,422
311
96/84


Kendall Bostic
1,501
1,408
146/124
1,408
1,344
124/124

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 63-34 record, including a 30-24 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 at No. 14 Maryland (2/2/25).

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 professionally for Bashkimi in Kosovo’s Liga Unike. 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.