Illinois Trio Honored as Nominees for McDonald’s All American Game!

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – All three eligible signees from Illinois Class of 2025 have attained acknowledgment as some of the top high school athletes in the nation as McDonald’s All-American nominees: Manuella Alves, Naomi Benson, and Destiny Jackson. Each of these athletes is in contention for a place in the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Game, scheduled for April 1, 2025, at the Barclays Center in New York City.

For eligibility, nominees must have resided in the United States for one full calendar year before their nomination and have attended a high school in the United States during that same period.

Alves, a Brazilian native who is currently competing at IMG Academy in Florida, is a 6-foot-3 forward recognized as a consensus four-star recruit and was among 29 players from Florida to attain a position on this esteemed list.

Benson, a 6-foot-2 forward hailing from Streetsboro, Ohio, has recorded a double-double average throughout her initial three years in high school, is a three-time First Team All-District recipient, and was selected as the Metro Conference Player of the Year after the 2023-24 season. Benson is one of 10 nominees from Ohio vying to become a McDonald’s All American.

Jackson will be joining the Illini from Chicago, where she competes for Whitney Young. A five-star recruit, Jackson has won the Chicago Public League championship three times and has been honored as a First Team All-CPL athlete three times as well. The top-rated prospect in Illinois, she was included in the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy Girl’s High School Player of the Year and is among 10 players from Illinois nominated for the McDonald’s All American list.

The current roster of Illinois women’s basketball includes six players who have previously been nominated as McDonald’s All Americans: Shay Bollin, Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, Adalia McKenzie, Lety Vasconcelos, and Berry Wallace. Wallace participated in the 2024 McDonald’s All American Games, marking the third Illini signee in the program’s history to achieve this honor.

A total of 24 girls will be chosen as McDonald’s All Americans and will participate in the McDonald’s All American Games on April 1. A selection committee consisting of some of the foremost basketball experts nationwide will determine these final 24 players, with academic performance and conduct being significant factors in their decision-making process.