Illinois Travels to Corvallis to Face Oregon State

Illinois Starters Last Game (vs. Illinois State)
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	Season Note
G	2	Destiny Jackson	5-6	Fr.	7.0	4.5	4.0	2.5	0.5	Recorded 4 steals towards Illinois State
G	4	Gretchan Dolan	5-11	Jr.	17.0	3.5	6.0	2.0	0.5	Leads the staff in assists, recording 12
G	8	Jasmine Brown-Hagger	5-9	Jr.	6.5	1.5	2.5	1.5	0.0	Ranked third on the staff in 3-pointers made and steals in 2024-25.
F	23	Berry Wallace	6-1	So.	24.5	9.0	2.5	0.0	0.0	Named to Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll for standout performances in week 1.
F	30	Cearah Parchment	6-3	Fr.	8.5	6.0	2.0	1.0	0.5	The staff’s youngest participant, born on July 4, 2007.

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 221-110 (.667), twelfth season

Division I Record: 192-85 (.692), tenth season

At Illinois: 65-35 (.646), Fourth season

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

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

The Oregon State Beavers are coming off two straight wins to open up the 2025-26 season, the primary coming over Corban, 86-45, and the second over Air Force, 60-49. 

Both wins produced well-rounded scoring efforts from the Beavers, however fifth-year guard Tiara Bolden has led the way in which. The 5’11” scoring guard put up 13 and 23 factors in her first two outings of the yr. Bolden at the moment leads the staff in discipline aim and three-point makes an attempt, and is the backcourt’s best rebounder.

Sophomore Ally Schimel and junior Kennedie Shuler have additionally began each video games for Oregon State. Both within the backcourt, Schimel operates as extra of capturing guard capability, like Bolden, whereas Shuler is the staff’s level guard and first facilitator. She led the staff in assists final yr, averaging 3.7 per recreation, and has dished out 13 within the first two video games of the yr.

6’8″ middle Néné Sow has began within the final two video games for the Beavers, primarily contributing as a rebounder. Sow has notched 15 rebounds in solely 28 minutes on the court docket, 9 of which got here from her 12 minutes towards Air Force. 

Meanwhile, 6’3″ freshman ahead Lara Alonso-Basurto has led the staff in rebounding whereas coming off the bench. She notched double-doubles within the first two video games of her collegiate profession, scoring 11 factors and grabbing 12 rebounds in 31 minutes within the staff’s final recreation towards Air Force.

The Oregon State Beavers are led by Scott Rueck, who enters his sixteenth yr on the helm of this system. Rueck, holding a 318-170 document with the Beavers, has led the staff to a NCAA Final Four and two Elite Eights. The program comes into 2025-26 after a 19-16 marketing campaign and a NCAA Tournament look final season.

HISTORY VERSUS OREGON STATE

Illinois and Oregon State have solely confronted one another twice, with the Illini approaching high in each matchups. The most up-to-date assembly, held in Champaign, was in November of final season when Kendall Bostic dropped a career-high 31 factors in an 85-66 victory. 

Previously, the 2 packages had solely confronted off in 1996 in Corvallis, when the Teresa Grentz-led Illini squad was victorious 65-50.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Friday’s contest marks the primary of 12 scheduled highway video games for Illinois this season and is considered one of three that will likely be performed within the Pacific Northwest. Illinois makes its first Oregon-Washington trek as a part of Big Ten Conference play at first of February. The Orange and Blue are 18-16 total in true highway video games performed underneath Shauna Green.

MAKING THE HONOR ROLL

Sophomore ahead Berry Wallace was named to the Big Ten’s Weekly Honor Roll after delivering back-to-back 20 level video games because the Fighting Illini opened the season 2-0.

Across Week 1, Wallace averaged 24.5 factors, 9.0 rebounds, and a pair of.5 assists in 34.5 minutes per recreation. Wallace shot 60.7% from the sphere (17-for-28), 40% from 3-point vary (2-for-5), and 76.5% (13-for-17) from the free-throw line. 

Wallace opened the season with a 27-point, 11-rebound double-double in a 91-67 win over SEMO. That contest noticed the Pickerington, Ohio native set new profession highs in factors and rebounds whereas recording each the primary double-double and 20-point recreation of her Illinois profession.

On Sunday, Wallace turned in 22 factors, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 0 turnovers towards Illinois State. The ahead shot 7-for-10 from the sphere together with 8-for-11 from the free-throw line.

The weekly honor is the primary of any Wallace has earned from the Big Ten throughout her younger profession.

YOUNG ILLINI

While freshmen Destiny Jackson and Cearah Parchment turned the primary freshman duo since Jada Peebles and Kennedi Myles, in 2019, to begin in a season opener for Illinois, they’ve proven why they’re beginning over the past two video games.

Jackson had two all-around efforts within the first two video games of her profession, compiling 14 factors, 9 rebounds and eight assists. She’s seen the court docket for almost the whole lot of each video games, taking part in 33 minutes towards SEMO and 34 going through Illinois State. Jackson’s six assists versus SEMO set a program document for a freshman in a season opener. She additionally recorded a notable 4 steals towards ISU.

Parchment, the staff’s youngest participant, has been robust within the rebounding column. While foul bother restricted her taking part in time in her debut, she nonetheless managed to seize three boards and rating eight factors in solely 12 minutes. Parchment’s outing versus Illinois State was well-rounded, recording 9 factors, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, a block and a steal in 34 minutes.

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 dwelling underneath Green, and this system has secured double-digit wins in three straight seasons for the primary time in program historical past. The Illini gained 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 profitable streak en path to an 11-7 document in league play.

LAND OF LINCOLN

Entering the 2025-26 season, 5 Illini proudly representing the Orange and Blue hail from their dwelling 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 instantly 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 pair 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 dwelling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She performed her freshman and sophomore highschool seasons in Brazil earlier than taking part in 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 staff 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 taking part in 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 staff, profitable 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 staff’s oldest, together with her twenty third birthday approaching in December. 

Meanwhile Cearah Parchment is the youngest participant on the staff, 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 adorned 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 talent 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.

TALLEST PLAYER IN PROGRAM HISTORY

Listed at 6’7″, Lety Vasconcelos is the tallest player in program history. While the Illini have had various student-athletes at 6’6″ prior to now — together with Aicha Ndour from 2022-2024 — the additional inch makes Vasconcelos the tallest Illini ever. 

While she’s the tallest Illini, Vasconcelos is tied for tallest within the convention, as Purdue’s Avery Gordon and UCLA’s Lauren Betts are additionally listed on the similar peak.

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.

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, in response to 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 dwelling 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 taking part in membership for Example Sports GUAA.