Illini Open 2025-26 Marketing campaign with Exhibition vs. Maryville

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 219-110 (.668), twelfth season

Division I Record: 190-85 (.693), tenth season

At Illinois: 63-35 (.649), Fourth season

Big Ten Record: 30-24 (.556), Fourth season

Live Stream

Fans unable to attend Thursday night time’s exhibition sport can watch Illinois vs. Maryville on-line by buying a subscription to B1G+, a streaming service of non-televised occasions produced by the Big Ten Network in partnership with the Big Ten Conference faculties.

Fans who join can select both the month-to-month price of $12.99 or the annual price of $89.99. The B1G+ subscription consists of entry to stay streaming of non-televised video games, subsequent day on-demand archives, and entry to Big Ten Network’s library of Illinois’ earlier season classics and originals.

17 remaining girls’s basketball video games are slated to be streamed through B1G+:

» Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. vs. SEMO

» Nov. 9 at 12 p.m. vs. Illinois State

» Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. vs. Murray State

» Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. vs. Western Kentucky

» Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. vs. Le Moyne

» Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. vs. Bellarmine

» Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. vs. North Texas

» Dec. 29 at 6 p.m. vs. Jackson State

» Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. vs. Ohio State

» Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. vs. Northwestern

» Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. vs. UCLA

» Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. at Oregon

» Feb. 8 at 12 p.m. vs. USC

» Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. vs. Wisconsin

» Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. vs. Rutgers

» Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. at Northwestern

» Mar. 1 at 2 p.m. vs. Minnesota (Wild Card)

LAST EXHIBITION

Illinois eased into the third yr of the Shauna Green period in Champaign with a dominant 80-53 victory over Lewis within the group’s lone exhibition sport of the 2024-25 marketing campaign. Green used the preseason sport to present enjoying time to 12 completely different student-athletes, 9 of them contributing within the scoring column led by Kendall Bostic’s 22. The Illini transformed 26 of their 55 subject purpose makes an attempt, and so they knocked down six 3-pointers. The Orange and Blue locked up the Flyers on protection, forcing 22 Lewis Turnovers whereas choosing up seven blocks and 6 steals.

Green is 3-0 in exhibition video games at Illinois.

THE SHAUNA GREEN EFFECT

Illinois’ 63 wins by way of Green’s first three seasons match this system document in that span whereas additionally marking probably the most by a head coach of their first three years with the Orange and Blue. Across that interval, Illinois is 38-11 at residence underneath Green, and this system has secured double-digit wins in three straight seasons for the primary time in program historical past. The Illini received 11 consecutive video games from March 21-Nov. 26, 2024, a brand new program document and the longest lively win streak within the nation on the time. Additionally, Illinois strung collectively a program-record eight-game Big Ten successful streak en path to an 11-7 document in league play.

HOME ATTENDANCE NUMBERS

Across 15 residence video games in the course of the 2022-23 season, Illinois Women’s Basketball noticed 52,295 followers fill the State Farm Center en path to a 12-3 document. That whole attendance ranked fifth in program historical past and made Shauna Green the one head coach to usher in 50,000 or extra followers in her first season with the Illini.

In Illinois’ 2023-24 season – and residential – opener, the attendance of two,680 marked the biggest ticketed season-opening crowd at State Farm Center since 2000 (3,954). In the Illini’s 17 residence video games final season, Illinois completed with a mixed attendance of 63,242 for a median of three,720 a sport. 63,242 is now the fifth-best all-time attendance.

Illinois’ 2024-25 season-opener in opposition to Florida State drew a crowd of three,741 to surpass final yr’s season-opening mark by over 1,000 followers. With 13,486 followers in attendance for Field Trip Day; 4,914 followers within the stands of State Farm Center for Pack the House; 5,896 followers readily available in opposition to Michigan State on Jan. 19; 5,881 followers at State Farm Center in opposition to Nebraska on Feb. 16; and 6,889 followers in attendance for Senior Day, Illinois’ season common completed at 4,967 per sport throughout 17 residence regular-season contests. The Illini went 14-3 at State Farm Center this season.

Illinois’ whole attendance of 84,437 in the course of the 2024-25 marketing campaign ranks second-best in a season in program historical past.

FACING ALMA MATER

Maya Solomon — Director of Basketball Operations for Shauna Green‘s Illini — may be very accustomed to the Maryville basketball program, enjoying 4 seasons with the Saints from 2014-2018. Solomon performed underneath Head Coach Chris Ellis, who enters his fifteenth season with Maryville this yr. 

She was a four-year varsity letterwinner with the Saints, and obtained this system’s Senior Award in 2018 whereas additionally serving as captain.

LAND OF LINCOLN

Entering the 2025-26 season, 5 Illini proudly representing the Orange and Blue hail from their residence state of Illinois. 

Native to Shorewood, Ill, junior Jasmine Brown-Hagger began her highschool profession with two years at Joliet Catholic Academy, adopted by two seasons of prep ball at Example Academy, in Frankfort, Ill. 

Aaliyah Guyton represented the Peoria Lions all through her highschool profession and earned two Big-12 Player of the Year awards within the course of. She was ranked as the highest participant within the state in 2024.

Chicago’s Destiny Jackson involves Illinois straight after being named Illinois Ms. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year in her senior yr at Whitney Young Magnet High School. Averaging 21.1 factors, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a couple of.8 steals, in her senior season, Jackson was nationally-ranked No. 28 in her class by 247Sports.

6’6″ Hayven Smith hails from Frankfort, Ill, the place she represented Lincoln-Way East for 4 years. In her senior season, Smith led the college to its first regional championship in seven years.

Mokena, Ill. native Mia Zenere notched one yr at Lincoln-Way Central earlier than heading to Example Academy for her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. 

INTERNATIONAL TIES

Going into Green’s fourth yr at Illinois, the Illini have six worldwide athletes listed on their roster.

6’3″ ahead Manuella Alves is residence to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She performed her freshman and sophomore highschool seasons in Brazil earlier than enjoying the opposite two at Florida’s IMG Academy.

Irene Noya Catoira hails from Vilagarcía de Arousa, Pontevedra, Spain. She Played for Segle XXI within the Spain-LF2 league from 2022-24 serving to the group win the Group B common season championship each seasons.

Freshman Erica Finney journeys to Champaign from Sydney, Australia, the place she performed highschool ball at Cammeraygal High School. Finney represented Australia within the FIBA U17 2024 World Cup.

Cearah Parchment is from Whitby, Ontario, Canada. She attended Fort Erie International Academy and represented her nation twice in FIBA World Cups.

Graduate pupil Gisela Segura hails from Cervera, Spain, the place she graduated from Institut Joaquim Blume. She involves Illinois after three years at Division II Franklin Pierce and one season at LIU.

Despite enjoying 4 highschool seasons within the United States, Lety Vasconcelos is native to Miguel Calmon, Bahia, Brazil. She was a three-time member of the Brazilian nationwide group, successful the South American Championship in 2020.

YOUNGEST TEAM

Green’s fourth Illini squad is by far her youngest, with a median age of 19.91 years as of the beginning of the 2025-26 marketing campaign. This locations Illinois within the top-five for youngest rosters in Power 5 Women’s Basketball.

Only two gamers — Gretchan Dolan and Gisela Segura — are above the age of 21. Segura is the group’s oldest, along with her twenty third birthday approaching in December. 

Meanwhile Cearah Parchment is the youngest participant on the group, at 18 years and 4 months. She was born on July 4, 2007, simply 5 days after the launch of the iPhone.

A NEW ERA

Illinois enters the season with eight newcomers and 7 returners on its 15-player roster. However, returning gamers accounted for twenty-four.4% of final yr’s scoring. In whole, 75.6% of the offensive manufacturing from 2024-25 departed with Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, Adalia McKenzie, Makira Cook, and Brynn Shoup-Hill — all of whom concluded embellished collegiate careers.

Despite the turnover in scoring, the Illini usher in eight high-impact additions by way of recruiting and the portal. With elite measurement, athleticism, and ability throughout each place group, Shauna Green‘s squad steps into a brand new period of Illinois Women’s Basketball, one outlined by upside and alternative.

SWITCHING TEAMS

Illinois acquired Aaliyah Guyton and Maddie Webber from the switch portal this summer season, two gamers who had confronted off with Illinois at their earlier faculties.

Guyton, the sophomore guard, performed her freshman season at Iowa, the place she averaged 4.7 factors, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. She made 29 appearances all through the season, and coincidentally, made her first profession begin at Illinois.

In two seasons at Villanova, Webber averaged 10.8 factors, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. While Villanova confronted off with Illinois within the 2023-24 WBIT Final, Webber did not make an look within the contest. She was named to second-team All-BIG EAST Second Team in her sophomore season.

The Illini additionally added Gisela Segura in the summertime of 2025. A graduate pupil, she involves Champaign after one season at LIU. Previously, she performed the 2020-24 seasons at Division II Franklin Pierce.

 

ADDING JACKIE ALEXANDER

Illinois employed Jackie Alexander as an assistant coach within the 2025 offseason. Alexander joins this system after one season as an assistant coach at Toledo. 

Prior to Toledo, Alexander held positions at East Tennessee State (2021-24), Eastern Kentucky (2019-21), Albany (2018-19), and Air Force (2017-18).

A local of Broadhead, Kentucky, Alexander served as an Army officer for 3 years following her undergraduate profession at Army West Point and the University of the Cumberlands. Reaching the rank of captain, she served at Fort Campbell in Kentucky and was deployed to Iraq whereas within the Army.

A FAMILIAR FACE

Zachary Choo joined the Illinois program this summer season as assistant director of scouting and video. Choo joins the Illini after three seasons at Wisconsin and can reunite with Green after their time collectively at Dayton.

During the earlier three seasons, Choo labored in Madison, chargeable for the coding and breakdown of follow and sport movie, advance opponent scouting, collaboration with the workers for opponent and self-scouting, analyzing clips for tasks and distribution, and managing the video and drawn playbook.

The Honolulu, Hawai’i, native spent the 2021-22 marketing campaign because the graduate assistant at Dayton. Choo additionally spent three years as a pupil supervisor with the Flyers. During his time at UD, he crossed paths with a number of members of the present Illinois workers, together with Shauna Green, Calamity McEntire, DeAntoine Beasley, Emily Durr, Maya Solomon, and Dr. Becky Cook.

TOP ILLINOIS TALENT

With the addition of Destiny Jackson and Aaliyah Guyton for the 2025-26 marketing campaign, Illinois basketball now has the top-ranked Illinois recruits from the lessons of 2023, 2024, and 2025. 

Jasmine Brown-Hagger was the state’s No. 1 participant within the class of 2023, and the no. 54 prospect within the nation, based on espnW HoopGurlz. In her senior season at Example Academy, she averaged 19.3 factors, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and three.2 steals. While she performed her freshman season at Mississippi State, she got here residence to Illinois the next yr.

Illinois’ No. 1 within the class of 2024, Aaliyah Guyton is initially from Peoria, Illinois. She enters her first season at Illinois after transferring from Iowa over the offseason.

After incomes the titles of Illinois Ms. Basketball and Illinois Gatorade Player of the yr in 2025, Destiny Jackson comes from Chicago as a five-star recruit, ranked sixth nationally at her place. The top-ranked participant in Illinois, Jackson performed at Whitney Young Magnet H.S. whereas enjoying membership for Example Sports GUAA.

EMILY DURR IN THE NY STATE HOF

Shortly after the tip of her third season at Illinois, Director of Recruiting Operations Emily Durr was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame. Durr earned her nomination from a record-breaking highschool at Notre Dame High School in Utica, N.Y. 

With 2,445 factors, she holds the second-highest profession level whole in New York’s Section III division, which got here out to a median of twenty-two.9 factors per sport complemented by 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and a couple of.8 steals. Durr led Utica-Notre Dame to the state championship in her senior season in 2014, and was nominated for the McDonald’s All American sport and Gatorade Player of the Year. She was a finalist for Miss New York State Basketball.

After her profession at Utica-Notre Dame, Durr performed 4 seasons at Iowa State the place she averaged 7.9 factors per sport.