Illinois Welcomes No. 19 Ohio State for Third Straight Ranked Game

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Illinois Starters Last Game (at Michigan State)

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

G
2
Destiny Jackson
5-6
Fr.
87.9
4.3
5.0
1.6
0.1
7.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.8 apg vs. B1G

G
4
Gretchen Dolan
5-11
R-So.
14.9
3.5
3.0
1.2
0.4
Averaging 16.0 ppg vs. B1G

G
8
Jasmine Brown-Hagger
5-9
Jr.
5.7
1.8
1.3
1.1
0.1
Season-high 12 pts, 3 rebs, 2 stls at FSU

F
23
Berry Wallace
6-1
So.
18.2
7.1
1.7
0.5
0.3
Eight 20-point games this season

F
30
Cearah Parchment
6-3
Fr.
11.1
7.7
1.2
2.2
0.6
Four double-doubles this season

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 232-112 (.674), 12th seasonDivision I Record: 203-87 (.700), 10th seasonAt Illinois: 76-37 (.673), Fourth seasonBig Ten Record: 33-25 (.569), Fourth season

THE NEXT WIN WOULD…

Move the Illini to 21-59 all-time vs. Ohio State
Improve Green to 1-3 overall vs. Ohio State
Mark Illinois’ 1st win vs. OSU since 2/14/2015
Mark wins over 14 different Big Ten teams for Green
Move Illinois to 49-11 in home games under Green
Give the Illini an 11-game home win streak
Mark UI’s first 4-1 B1G start since 2022-23
Move Green’s career record to 233-112 in 12 seasons
Improve Green to 34-25 in Big Ten games
Move Green’s DI record to 204-87 in 10 seasons
Move Green’s Illinois record to 77-37
Give Illinois WBB an all-time record of 723-777

OPENING TIP

The 52nd campaign of Illinois women’s basketball continues on Wednesday, Jan. 7, when Illinois hosts #19/20 Ohio State for a 6 p.m. CT game on B1G+ from State Farm Center. 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
Illinois has been ranked or receiving votes at some point during all four 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 are in the midst of a 3-game stretch vs. ranked opponents (#7/6 Maryland, at #24/19 Michigan State, #19/19 Ohio State)
Five of Illinois’ next 7 opponents are ranked

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Ohio State is off to a 13-2 start on the season including a 3-1 reading in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes’ losses came to No. 1 UConn and No. 4 UCLA. Most recently, OSU took down Rutgers and Purdue. The Buckeyes also own a win over No. 21/20 West Virginia. Head coach Kevin McGuff is in his 13th season in Columbus.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFO

Ohio State leads the all-time series against Illinois, 59-20, with Wednesday’s game marking the 80th all-time meeting. The Buckeyes lead 22-14 when the series has been played in Champaign. OSU has won the last 13 meetings in the series. The Illini are 0-3 against Ohio State since Shauna Green took over the Illinois helm.

15-GAME START

Illinois’ 13-2 start through 15 games matches the best start in program history. This mark has been achieved three times, including two of Shauna Green’s teams.

BEST 15-GAME STARTS

Rank
Season
Record
Coach

T-1.
2025-26
13-2
Green

2022-23
13-2
Green

1980-81
13-2
Schroeder

T-4.
1996-97
12-3
Grentz

1986-87
12-3
Golden

6.
2024-25
11-4
Green

BEST 16-GAME STARTS

The best 16-game start in program history is a 14-2 reading, achieved by Green’s 2022-23 squad. The 2025-26 Illinois team has the chance to match that mark on Thursday with a win.

BEST 16-GAME STARTS

Rank
Season
Record
Coach

1.
2022-23
14-2
Green

T-2.
1986-87
13-3
Golden

1981-82
13-3
Schroeder

1980-81
13-3
Schroeder

T-5.
4x, MR 2024-25
12-4
Green

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. 

TURNOVERS/GAME UNDER GREEN

Season
Avg.
B1G Rank
D-1 Rank

2022-23
12.9
2nd
27th

2023-24
12.4
2nd
16th

2024-25
12.6
2nd
24th

2025-26
12.0
3rd
14th

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 82.8% mark from the stripe.

FREE THROW PERCENTAGE UNDER GREEN

Season
Pct.
B1G Rank
D-1 Rank

2022-23
75.6
8th
53rd

2023-24
79.5
1st
6th

2024-25
79.3
1st
7th

2025-26
82.8
1st
1st

DOUBLE THE ACCOLADES

For the first time of the 2025-26 campaign, Illinois women’s basketball has two players recognized with Big Ten weekly accolades. Cearah Parchment was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season while Berry Wallace earned a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll for the second time as well.

The Illini duo delivered night after night for the Illini during the three-game stretch the award covered (at Purdue, #7/6 Maryland, at #24/19 Michigan State) as Illinois went 2-1 over the span. On top of the first win at Purdue in over a decade, Illinois earned a statement win over No. 7/6 Maryland that marked the highest ranked win over a Big Ten team in program history. Parchment and Wallace have played a large role in Illinois’ 13-2 record, matching the best 15-game start in program history.

Parchment delivered a standout three-game stretch for the Fighting Illini following the holiday break, looking nothing like a freshman on the hardwood. The Whitby, Ontario, Canada native averaged 12.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. The rookie did that while playing 30.5 minutes per game and shooting 44.4% FG (8-for-18), 33.3% 3FG (1-for-3), and 87.0% FT (20-for-23).

Across the three-game span, Wallace averaged 21.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.3 steals, and 1 block per game. The sophomore did that while playing 38 minutes per game and shooting a scorching 50% FG (22-for-44), 50% 3FG (8-for-16), and 92.9% FT (13-for-14). Wallace registered three straight 20-point games and is up to eight on the season.

BERRY WALLACE’S SOPHOMORE SURGE

Through 15 games of the 2025-26 campaign, Fighting Illini sophomore Berry Wallace is averaging 18.2 points per game up from 9.0 ppg last season, despite being at the top of every opponents’ scout.

Along with her 18.2 points, Wallace is averaging 7.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks across 33.1 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 59.8% FG, 37.7% 3FG, and 88.1 FT% through 15 games.

Wallace’s four straight 20-point games to open the season made her the only player in a P5 conference to do so. Additionally, she was the only player in the country with 4+ 20-point games against all D1 teams to start the season.

REGULAR SEASON BIG TEN WINS 

In her fourth season at Illinois, head coach Shauna Green has led the Fighting Illini to a 33-25 regular season record against the Big Ten. Those 33 victories are already third all-time among Illinois head coaches. 

REGULAR SEASON BIG TEN WINS BY ILLINOIS HEAD COACHES

RANK
HC
#
SEASONS
TENURE

1
Theresa Grentz
101
12
1995-2007

2
Laura Golden
44
6
1984-1990

3
Shauna Green
33
4
2022-Present

4
Jolette Law
27
5
2007-2012

Kathy Lindsey
27
5
1990-1995

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR

Illinois women’s basketball defeated No. 7/6 Maryland, 73-70, inside State Farm Center on Thursday evening, its 11th-straight win, tying the longest win streak in program history. The last time Illinois defeated a program ranked 7th or higher, was on Dec. 28, 2012, when it topped Georgia, 70-59. The victory marked Illinois’ highest ranked Big Ten win in program history, and gave the Illini their first 3-0 conference start since the 1999-00 season. 

Three Illinois players scored in double figures, led by Berry Wallace, who notched 22 points and seven rebounds, her seventh outing with 20 or more points this season. Cearah Parchment added 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks and Gretchen Dolan chipped in as well with 17 points.

The Illini took the lead for good on a pair of Destiny Jackson free throws (4Q, 5:39), which followed Jasmine Brown-Hagger’s corner 3-pointer (4Q, 6:33). Illinois held Maryland to 8.3% shooting from 3-point range, 1-for-12. UI scored 16 second chance points off 11 offensive rebounds.

PROGRAM WINS OVER TOP-10 OPPONENTS

Illinois’ New Year’s Day win over No. 7/6 Maryland marked the 10th top-10 win in program history, and the first of the Shauna Green regime. The Illini’s victory was the first over a top-10 team since the 2014-15 season and was the program’s highest ranked win ever over a Big Ten team.

ILLINOIS PROGRAM WINS OVER TOP-10 TEAMS

RANK
DATE
OPPONENT
SCORE

1
#3
1/13/82
Long Beach State (H)
97-91 (3OT)

2
#5
1/2/00
Georgia (H)
82-65

3
#6
12/28/12
Georgia (H)
70-59

#6
11/27/99
Notre Dame (H)
77-67

5
#7
1/1/26
Maryland (H)
73-70

6
#9
11/27/14
Kentucky (N)
77-71

7
#10
2/9/12
Ohio State (H)
66-65

#10
1/26/03
Minnesota (H)
94-80

#10
1/7/01
Penn State (H)
75-71

#10
1/8/97
Arkansas (A)
100-81

RANKED WINS UNDER COACH GREEN

Illinois’ most recent ranked win 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. 

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 2026 win marked the seventh such triumph under fourth-year head coach Shauna Green, who guided the Illini to ranked wins five times in Big Ten play. Green’s seven wins over ranked teams are the second-most in Illinois program history behind Theresa Grentz’ 26. Overall, Green is 7-17 against top-25 foes.

RANKED WINS UNDER SHAUNA GREEN

DATE
OPPONENT
SCORE
LOCATION

1/1/23
#12 Iowa
90-86
State Farm Center

2/19/24
#14 Indiana
86-66
State Farm Center

11/7/24
#19 Florida State
83-74
State Farm Center

1/9/25
#23 Iowa
62-57
State Farm Center

2/2/25
#14 Maryland
66-65
College Park, Md.

3/22/25
#23 Creighton
66-57
Austin, Texas

1/1/26
 #7 Maryland
73-70
State Farm Center

FRESHMAN STANDOUTS

Destiny Jackson is one of 15 players across D1 averaging at least 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in the NCAA and averages the second fewest turnovers per game (1.9). Jackson is averaging 28.8 minutes per game, the third-fewest minutes among the group.

Jackson is the only freshman across D1 averaging at least 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. 

WINNING IN STATE FARM CENTER UNDER GREEN

Head coach Shauna Green has emphasized the importance of protecting home court and her Illini squads have done just that. Illinois is 48-11 at home under Green and the program has secured double-digit wins in 4 straight seasons for the first time in program history.

HOME RECORD UNDER GREEN

SEASON
RECORD

2022-23
12-3

2023-24
12-5

2024-25
14-3

2025-26
10-0