2024–25 Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball team
| 2024–25 Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball | |
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| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 24 |
| AP | No. 23 |
| Record | 2–0 (0–0 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | State Farm Center |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 25 Oregon | 0 | – | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 11 Maryland | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 21 Nebraska | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 UCLA | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 USC | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Illinois | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Ohio State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 1 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | .000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2025 Big Ten tournament winner As of November 12, 2024 Rankings from AP Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2024–25 Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball team represents the University of Illinois during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Fighting Illini are led by third-year head coach Shauna Green, and they play their home games at State Farm Center. This season marks the program's 43rd season as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
Previous season
[edit]The Illini finished the 2023–24 season 19–5 overall, with a 8–10 record in Big Ten play to finish in ninth place. Playing as the ninth seed in the Big Ten women's tournament, they lost in the first round to eighth seed Maryland, 75–65.
The team was not invited to the 2024 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, but earned an at-large bid and a number four seed to the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). There, they defeated Missouri State, Stony Brook, Tulsa and first-seeded Washington State to advance to the championship game against first-seeded Villanova. The Illini defeated the Wildcats 71–57 at Hinkle Fieldhouse, marking the program's first postseason championship.[1]
Green's .621 winning percentage after her first two seasons at Illinois is the best start for the program's head coach, after Theresa Grentz's 1995–97 teams won .617 percent of their games.[2]
Accolades
[edit]Illinois players Makira Cook, Genesis Bryant and Kendall Bostic were named to the WBIT All-Tournament Team after winning the championship game,[1] with Cook named as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Cook's honor makes her the first Illinois women's basketball player in program history to be named MVP in a postseason competition.[3]
Four Illini earned All-Big Ten honors after the end of the season. Cook was named to the league's second team, Bostic was voted to the second team by the media and honorable mention by the coaches, Bryant was recognized as honorable mention in both polls, and Gretchen Dolan was added to the All-Freshman Team by the coaches. Dolan's honor is the first by an Illinois freshman since 2017.[4]
In September 2024, Cook was named to the preseason All-Big Ten Team by the conference coaches.[5]
On October 28, 2024, Cook was named as one of 20 players to the Nancy Lieberman Award pre-season watch list for the award that honors the top point guard in the country. This marked her second straight year on the watch list, and she is the first Illinois player to be recognized with this honor.[6] On the same date, Cook was named as one of 50 players to the Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year watch list.[7]
On October 29, 2024, Bryant was recognized as one of the top 20 shooting guards in the country by landing on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award pre-season watch list.[8] Two days later, Bostic was one of 20 players named to the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year pre-season watch list.[9]
Off-season
[edit]On June 3, 2024, Illinois announced the hiring of Liza Fruendt as an assistant coach, replacing Jenna Giacone. Fruendt arrived at Illinois after three seasons as assistant coach at Tennessee.[10]
Four of the five of the previous season's starting lineup returned for the 2024–25 season, with Cook, Bryant and Bostic returning for a fifth year awarded to them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
In October 2024, it was announced that sophomore transfer Lety Vasconcelos will miss the entire season due to a torn ACL, sustained near the end of summer team workouts.[12]
On October 24, 2024, the university announced that Green's contract had been extended for two additional years, keeping the coach at Illinois at least through the 2029–30 season.[13]
Departures
[edit]| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camille Jackson | 0 | G | 5'11" | Sophomore | Chicago, IL | Transferred to Miami Ohio[11] |
| Kam'Ren Rhodes | 4 | G | 5'6" | Sophomore | Chandler, AZ | Transferred to Akron[11] |
| Jada Peebles | 11 | G | 5'10" | Senior | Raleigh, NC | Graduated[11] |
| Aisha Ndour | 21 | C | 6'6" | Senior | Somone, Senegal | Transferred to Wichita State[11] |
| Samantha Dewey | 33 | F | 6'2" | Freshman | North Andover, MA | Transferred to Richmond[11] |
| Camille Hobby | 41 | C | 6'3" | Senior | Jacksonville, FL | Graduated[11] |
Incoming transfers
[edit]| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Brown-Hagger | 8 | G | 5'9" | Sophomore | Shorewood, IL | Mississippi State[11] |
| Lety Vasconcelos | 25 | C | 6'7" | Sophomore | Miguel Calmon, Bahia, Brazil | Baylor[11] |
2024 recruiting class
[edit]| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | High school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irene Noya Catoira | 6 | F | 6'3" | Freshman | Vilagarcía de Arousa, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain | Institut Joaquim Blume[11] |
| Mia Zenere | 12 | G | 5'11" | Freshman | Mokena, IL | Example Academy[14] |
| Berry Wallace | 20 | F | 6'1" | Freshman | Pickerington, Ohio | Pickerington High School Central[11] |
| Hayven Smith | 25 | C | 6'6" | Freshman | Frankfort, IL | Lincoln Way East[11] |
Roster
[edit]| 2024–25 Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
[edit]| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| November 1, 2024* 6:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Lewis | W 80–53 | 0–0 |
State Farm Center (3,556) Champaign, IL | |||||||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| November 7, 2024* 6:00 p.m., BTN+ |
No. 19 Florida State | W 83–74 | 1–0 |
State Farm Center (3,741) Champaign, IL | |||||||
| November 10, 2024* 7:00 p.m., BTN |
Marquette | W 65–53 | 2–0 |
State Farm Center (3,748) Champaign, IL | |||||||
| November 14, 2024* 6:00 p.m., BTN+ |
No. 23 | Eastern Illinois | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | ||||||||
| November 18, 2024* 11:00 a.m., BTN+ |
Le Moyne | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| November 22, 2024* 7:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Oregon State | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| November 26, 2024* 1:15 p.m., FloHoops |
vs. Maryland Eastern Shore Music City Classic |
Trevecca Trojan Fieldhouse Nashville, TN | |||||||||
| November 27, 2024* 7:00 p.m., FloHoops |
vs. Kentucky Music City Classic |
Trevecca Trojan Fieldhouse Nashville, TN | |||||||||
| December 2, 2024* 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Canisius | Koessler Athletic Center Buffalo, NY | |||||||||
| December 8, 2024 3:00 p.m., BTN |
at Ohio State | Value City Arena Columbus, OH | |||||||||
| December 12, 2024* 6:00 p.m., BTN |
Bradley | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| December 15, 2024* 1:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Southern Indiana | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| December 20, 2024* 12:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Southern | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| December 28, 2024 2:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Oregon | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| December 31, 2024 12:00 p.m., BTN |
Washington | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| January 5, 2025 2:00 p.m., BTN+ |
at Minnesota | Williams Arena Minneapolis, MN | |||||||||
| January 9, 2025 6:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Iowa | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| January 16, 2025 6:00 p.m., Peacock |
at Indiana | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Bloomington, IN | |||||||||
| January 19, 2025 2:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Michigan State | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| January 23, 2025 7:00 p.m., BTN |
at Northwestern | Welsh-Ryan Arena Evanston, IL | |||||||||
| January 27, 2025 7:30 p.m., BTN |
Purdue | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| January 30, 2025 6:00 p.m., BTN+ |
at Rutgers | Jersey Mike's Arena Piscataway, NJ | |||||||||
| February 2, 2025 12:00 p.m., BTN+ |
at Maryland | Xfinity Center College Park, MD | |||||||||
| February 6, 2025 6:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Northwestern | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| February 9, 2025 3:00 p.m., BTN+ |
at Wisconsin | Kohl Center Madison, WI | |||||||||
| February 13, 2025 6:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Penn State | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| February 16, 2025 4:00 p.m., BTN |
Nebraska | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| February 20, 2025 8:30 p.m., BTN |
at UCLA | Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA | |||||||||
| February 23, 2025 3:00 p.m., FS1 |
at USC | Galen Center Los Angeles, CA | |||||||||
| March 2, 2025 2:00 p.m., BTN+ |
Michigan | State Farm Center Champaign, IL | |||||||||
| Big Ten Women's Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 5–9, 2025 |
vs. TBA | Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN | |||||||||
Rankings
[edit]| Week | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | RV | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coaches | RV | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Vozzelli, Joe (April 3, 2024). "History! Illini win WBIT championship". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Daniels, Matt (April 5, 2024). "The daily pitch". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "Illini Trio Named to WBIT All-Tournament Team, Cook Earns Most Outstanding Player Honors". fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. April 3, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ "[4] Fighting Illini to Play for WBIT Championship Against [1] Villanova on Wednesday". fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. April 1, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ "Cook Named Preseason All-Big Ten". fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. September 26, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ "Cook Named to Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Top-20 Preseason Watch List for Second Straight Season". fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ "Cook Earns Spot on Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List". fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ "Bryant Named to Ann Meyers-Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Top-20 Preseason Watch List". fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 29, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Daniels, Matt (November 1, 2024). "The Daily Pitch". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Daniels, Matt (June 3, 2024). "Fruendt joins Illinois women's basketball as assistant coach". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Vozzelli, Joe (June 10, 2024). "Green Street: The 2024–25 Illini have arrived on campus". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Vozzelli, Joe (October 30, 2024). "Illinois women's basketball center Vasconcelos out for season with knee injury". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Vozzelli, Joe (October 24, 2024). "Illinois women's basketball coach lands contract extension". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Vozzelli, Joe (August 2, 2024). "Green Street: Numbers game". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved September 23, 2024.