{"id":55998,"date":"2025-11-21T22:23:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T22:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/55998\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T22:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T22:23:08","slug":"illinois-set-to-face-florida-state-in-tallahassee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/55998\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois Set to Face Florida State in Tallahassee"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>                &#13;<br \/>\n                    Story Links&#13;<br \/>\n                    &#13;<br \/>\n                    &#13;<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tIllinois Starters Last Game (vs. Murray State)&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tPos.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tNo.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tName&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tHt.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tYr.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tPPG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tRPG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tAPG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tSPG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tBPG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tSeason Note&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t2&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/destiny-jackson\/15261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15261\" target=\"_blank\">Destiny Jackson<\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t5-6&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tFr.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t9.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t0.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tCareer-high 18 points vs Murray State&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/gretchen-dolan\/15252\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15252\" target=\"_blank\">Gretchen Dolan<\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t5-11&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tJr.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t13.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t0.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tLeads Illinois with 18 assists&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/jasmine-brown-hagger\/15251\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15251\" target=\"_blank\">Jasmine Brown-Hagger<\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t5-9&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tJr.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t0.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3rd on the team in 3-pointers made &amp;\u00a0steals in 2024-25&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tF&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t23&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/berry-wallace\/15256\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15256\" target=\"_blank\">Berry Wallace<\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t6-1&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tSo.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t23.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t8.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t0.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t0.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tFour straight 20-point games&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tF&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t30&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/cearah-parchment\/15260\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15260\" target=\"_blank\">Cearah Parchment<\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t6-3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tFr.&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t10.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t7.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t0.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tFirst career double-double vs Murray State&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Head Coach <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/coaches\/shauna-green\/2268\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"2268\" target=\"_blank\">Shauna Green<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Career Record:\u00a0222-111\u00a0(.667), 12th season<br \/>&#13;<br \/>\nDivision I Record:\u00a0193-86\u00a0(.692), 10th\u00a0season<br \/>&#13;<br \/>\nAt Illinois:\u00a066-36\u00a0(.647), Fourth season<br \/>&#13;<br \/>\nBig Ten Record:\u00a030-24\u00a0(.556), Fourth season<\/p>\n<p>ABOUT THE OPPONENT<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Florida State is off to a 3-3 start on the 2025-26 campaign, owning wins over Nicholls State, Georgia Southern, and Florida A&amp;M. The Seminoles are 3-1 at home this season. FSU went 24-9 overall last season, including a 13-3 home reading, and made an NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance.<\/p>\n<p>HISTORY VS. FLORIDA STATE<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Sunday&#8217;s game marks the fourth all-time meeting between the Fighting Illini and Seminoles and first-ever in Tallahassee. FSU leads the series 2-1 but the Illini claimed last season&#8217;s meeting, an 83-74 season-opening win over No. 19-ranked FSU squad in SFC.<\/p>\n<p>2025 FIELD TRIP DAY ATTENDANCE RECORDS<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tIllinois hosted its annual Field Trip Day on Nov. 18, 2025, when the Illini downed Murray St., 84-64.&#13;<br \/>\n\tAttendance was called at 14,361 &#8211; the 3rd largest crowd in program history and top mark since 2\/21\/99.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe attendance mark is a new non-conference game record.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>ALL-TIME FIELD TRIP DAY GAMES<\/p>\n<p>The ninth rendition of Illinois Women&#8217;s Basketball Field Trip Day game saw the Orange and Blue come out victorious over Murray State, 84-64 on Nov. 18. Illinois is 4-0 in Field Trip Day games under <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/coaches\/shauna-green\/2268\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"2268\" target=\"_blank\">Shauna Green<\/a> and 8-1 overall, winning each of the last eight occasions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Illinois has hosted the promotional event every season besides the COVID year since 2016-17.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tDATE&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tOPPONENT&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tATTENDANCE&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tRESULT&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-17-2016&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tMemphis&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t2,358&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tL, 54-64&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-10-2017&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tIPFW&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1,148&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tW, 64-50&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-7-2018&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tAlabama A&amp;M&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t2,364&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tW, 88-60&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-5-2019&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tChicago State&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4,189&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tW, 96-66&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t2020-21&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tNot Held&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t&#8212;&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t&#8212;&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-9-2021&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tNC Central&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1,983&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tW, 73-56&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-16-2022&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tMcNeese State&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t8,141&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tW, 100-38&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-15-2023&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tSaint Peter&#8217;s&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11,563&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tW, 103-33&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-18-2024&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tLe Moyne&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t13,486&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tW, 94-25&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t11-18-2025&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tMurray State&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t14,361&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tW, 84-64&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<\/p>\n<p>VICTORY AT FIELD TRIP DAY<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Illini advanced to 3-1 on the season with a 84-64 victory over Murray State for their ninth annual Field Trip Day Game. The crowd of 14,361 elementary through high school\u00a0students was the largest in the history of the event, and third consecutive year with over 10,000 in the crowd. The win advanced Illinois to 8-1 in the event&#8217;s history and 4-0 in the <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/coaches\/shauna-green\/2268\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"2268\" target=\"_blank\">Shauna Green<\/a> era.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/berry-wallace\/15256\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15256\" target=\"_blank\">Berry Wallace<\/a> led the Illini with 22 points while <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/destiny-jackson\/15261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15261\" target=\"_blank\">Destiny Jackson<\/a> scored a career high 18. <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/cearah-parchment\/15260\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15260\" target=\"_blank\">Cearah Parchment<\/a> turned in a 10 point, 11 rebound double-double.<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest moments of the game came through Jackson&#8217;s three-pointer to end the third quarter giving Illinois a 67-46 lead. The score advancing to 67 prompted the stadium to erupt in screams, following a nationwide trend of Field Trip Games celebrating the viral &#8220;six-seven&#8221; meme.<\/p>\n<p>BERRY WALLACE&#8217;S SOPHOMORE SURGE<\/p>\n<p>Through four games of the 2025-26 campaign, Fighting Illini sophomore <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/berry-wallace\/15256\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15256\" target=\"_blank\">Berry Wallace<\/a> leads the Big Ten in scoring at 23.8 points per game. That mark ranks 10th-best in the NCAA through Nov. 10 games.<\/p>\n<p>Along with her 23.8 points, Wallace is averaging 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks across 35.0 minutes per game. The Pickerington, Ohio, native has opened the season with four consecutive 20-point outings, including the first double-double of her career in the Orange and Blue&#8217;s season opener. Wallace is shooting a scorching 54.4% FG, 46.2% 3FG, and 87.1 FT%.<\/p>\n<p>Wallace&#8217;s four straight 20-point games to open the season make her the only player in a P5 conference to do so. Additionally, she is the only player in the country with 4+ 20-point games against all D1 teams to start the season.<\/p>\n<p>FANTASTIC FRESHMEN<\/p>\n<p>Fighting Illini rookies <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/destiny-jackson\/15261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15261\" target=\"_blank\">Destiny Jackson<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/cearah-parchment\/15260\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15260\" target=\"_blank\">Cearah Parchment<\/a> have started all four games for Illinois and are averaging a combined 19.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. Parchment is one of two Big Ten freshman to record a double-double already (Layla Hays, Iowa) while Jackson&#8217;s six assists in her collegiate debut (SEMO) is a program record for a freshman in a season opener.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>FRESHMAN STANDOUTS<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/destiny-jackson\/15261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15261\" target=\"_blank\">Destiny Jackson<\/a> is one of 14 freshmen averaging at least 9.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in the NCAA and leads that group with the fewest turnovers per game (1.5). Jackson is averaging 32.0 minutes per game, the fourth-most minutes among the group of 14.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tPOWER 4 + BIGEAST FRESHMEN&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tPLAYER&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tTEAM&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tPPG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tRPG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tAPG&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tTO\/GAME&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tD. Jackson&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tIllinois&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t9.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t1.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tK. Henry&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tVillanova&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t9.4&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t2.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tA. Chavez&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tOklahoma&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t16.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4.2&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t2.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tA. Morris&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tCal&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t9.2&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.2&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.6&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t2.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tA. Galvan&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tVanderbilt&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t9.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t5.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t5.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tJ. Davidson&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\tUSC&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t15.5&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4.8&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t4.0&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t3.3&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t&#13;<\/p>\n<p>ILLINI NEWCOMERS<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">As Illinois welcomes eight newcomers to the roster for the 2025-26, all six available\u00a0student-athletes have seen the floor as an Illini.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The freshman duo of <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/cearah-parchment\/15260\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15260\" target=\"_blank\">Cearah Parchment<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/destiny-jackson\/15261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15261\" target=\"_blank\">Destiny Jackson<\/a> have made a huge impact thus far, and combined for 28 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over Murray State. Jackson, averaging 9.3 points and 3.8 assists, dropped a career-high 18 points on 6-8 shooting against the Racers. Meanwhile, Parchment had the first double-double of her young career, recording 10 points and 11 rebounds. She averages 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds on the season.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/aaliyah-guyton\/15263\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15263\" target=\"_blank\">Aaliyah Guyton<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/maddie-webber\/15264\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15264\" target=\"_blank\">Maddie Webber<\/a>, transfers from Iowa and Villanova, have brought firepower off the Illini bench and combined for 19 points on Tuesday. Guyton, fresh off a minutes restriction, played for over 20 minutes for the first time of the season and dropped a season-high 12 points while doing so. Webber, the veteran transfer from Villanova, contributed seven points against Murray State, averaging 7.3 per game. Her season-high was 16 points over SEMO.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/gisela-segura\/15265\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15265\" target=\"_blank\">Gisela Segura<\/a>, the graduate-student transfer from LIU, and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/naomi-benson\/15262\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15262\" target=\"_blank\">Naomi Benson<\/a>, the true freshman out of Ohio, both made their debuts in the first few games of the season. Both saw the floor in the fourth quarter against Murray State.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/manuella-alves\/15259\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15259\" target=\"_blank\">Manuella Alves<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/erica-finney\/15258\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15258\" target=\"_blank\">Erica Finney<\/a>, international freshmen from Brazil and Australia, are both out for the season with injuries. Alves suffered an ACL tear during a preseason workout while Finney is recovering from bilateral knee procedures.<\/p>\n<p>TOP ILLINOIS TALENT<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">With the addition of <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/destiny-jackson\/15261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15261\" target=\"_blank\">Destiny Jackson<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/aaliyah-guyton\/15263\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15263\" target=\"_blank\">Aaliyah Guyton<\/a> for the 2025-26 campaign, Illinois basketball now has the top-ranked Illinois recruits from the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/jasmine-brown-hagger\/15251\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15251\" target=\"_blank\">Jasmine Brown-Hagger<\/a> was the state&#8217;s No. 1 player in the class of 2023, and the no. 54 prospect in the nation, according to espnW HoopGurlz. In her senior season at Example Academy, she averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 3.2 steals. While she played her freshman season at Mississippi State, she came home to Illinois the following year.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Illinois&#8217; No. 1 in the class of 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/aaliyah-guyton\/15263\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15263\" target=\"_blank\">Aaliyah Guyton<\/a> is originally from Peoria, Illinois. She enters her first season at Illinois after transferring from Iowa over the offseason.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">After earning the titles of Illinois Ms. Basketball and Illinois Gatorade Player of the year in 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/destiny-jackson\/15261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15261\" target=\"_blank\">Destiny Jackson<\/a> comes from Chicago as a five-star recruit, ranked sixth nationally at her position. The top-ranked player in Illinois, Jackson played at Whitney Young Magnet H.S. while playing club for Example Sports GUAA.<\/p>\n<p>YOUNGEST TEAM<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Green&#8217;s fourth Illini squad is by far her youngest, with an average age of 19.91 years as of the start of the 2025-26 campaign. This places Illinois in the top-five for youngest rosters in Power 5 Women&#8217;s Basketball.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Only two players \u2014 Gretchan Dolan and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/gisela-segura\/15265\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15265\" target=\"_blank\">Gisela Segura<\/a> \u2014 are above the age of 21. Segura is the team&#8217;s oldest, with her 23rd birthday approaching in December.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Meanwhile <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/cearah-parchment\/15260\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15260\" target=\"_blank\">Cearah Parchment<\/a> is the youngest player on the team, at 18 years and four months. She was born on July 4, 2007, just five days after the launch of the iPhone.<\/p>\n<p>THE SHAUNA GREEN EFFECT<\/p>\n<p>Illinois&#8217; 63 wins through Green&#8217;s first three seasons match the program record in that span while also marking the most by a head coach in their first three years with the Orange and Blue. Across that period, Illinois is 38-11 at home under Green, and the program has secured double-digit wins in three straight seasons for the first time in program history. The Illini won 11 consecutive games from March 21-Nov. 26, 2024, a new program record and the longest active win streak in the country at the time. Additionally, Illinois strung together a program-record eight-game Big Ten winning streak en route to an 11-7 record in league play.<\/p>\n<p>LAND OF LINCOLN<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Entering the 2025-26 season, five Illini proudly representing the Orange and Blue hail from their home state of Illinois.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Native to Shorewood, Ill, junior <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/jasmine-brown-hagger\/15251\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15251\" target=\"_blank\">Jasmine Brown-Hagger<\/a> started her high school career with two years at Joliet Catholic Academy, followed by two seasons of prep ball at Example Academy, in Frankfort, Ill.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/aaliyah-guyton\/15263\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15263\" target=\"_blank\">Aaliyah Guyton<\/a> represented the Peoria Lions throughout her high school career and earned two Big-12 Player of the Year awards in the process. She was ranked as the top player in the state in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Chicago&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/destiny-jackson\/15261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15261\" target=\"_blank\">Destiny Jackson<\/a> comes to Illinois directly after being named Illinois Ms. Basketball and\u00a0Gatorade Player of the Year in\u00a0her senior year at Whitney Young Magnet High School. Averaging 21.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 steals, in her senior season, Jackson was nationally-ranked No. 28 in her class by 247Sports.<\/p>\n<p>6&#8217;6&#8243; <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/hayven-smith\/15254\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15254\" target=\"_blank\">Hayven Smith<\/a> hails from Frankfort, Ill, where she represented Lincoln-Way East for four years. In her senior season, Smith led the school to its first regional championship in seven years.<\/p>\n<p>Mokena, Ill. native <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/mia-zenere\/15257\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15257\" target=\"_blank\">Mia Zenere<\/a> notched one year at Lincoln-Way Central before heading to Example Academy for her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>INTERNATIONAL TIES<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Going into Green&#8217;s fourth year at Illinois, the Illini have six international athletes listed on their roster.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">6&#8217;3&#8243; forward <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/manuella-alves\/15259\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15259\" target=\"_blank\">Manuella Alves<\/a> is home to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She played her freshman and sophomore high school seasons in Brazil before playing the other two\u00a0at Florida&#8217;s IMG Academy.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/irene-noya-catoira\/15253\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15253\" target=\"_blank\">Irene Noya Catoira<\/a> hails from Vilagarc\u00eda de Arousa, Pontevedra, Spain. She Played for Segle XXI in the Spain-LF2 league from 2022-24 helping the team win the Group B regular season championship both seasons.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Freshman <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/erica-finney\/15258\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15258\" target=\"_blank\">Erica Finney<\/a> journeys to Champaign from Sydney, Australia, where she played high school ball at Cammeraygal High School. Finney represented Australia in the FIBA U17 2024 World Cup.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/cearah-parchment\/15260\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15260\" target=\"_blank\">Cearah Parchment<\/a> is from Whitby, Ontario, Canada. She attended Fort Erie International Academy and represented her country twice in FIBA World Cups.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Graduate student <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/gisela-segura\/15265\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15265\" target=\"_blank\">Gisela Segura<\/a> hails from Cervera, Spain, where she graduated from Institut Joaquim Blume. She comes to Illinois after three years at Division II Franklin Pierce and one season at LIU.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Despite playing four high school seasons in the United States, <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/lety-vasconcelos\/15255\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15255\" target=\"_blank\">Lety Vasconcelos<\/a> is native to Miguel Calmon, Bahia, Brazil. She was a three-time member of the Brazilian national team, winning the South American Championship in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>A NEW ERA<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Illinois enters the season with eight newcomers and seven returners on its 15-player roster. However, returning players accounted for 24.4% of last year&#8217;s scoring. In total, 75.6% of the offensive production from 2024-25 departed with <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/kendall-bostic\/14483\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"14483\" target=\"_blank\">Kendall Bostic<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/genesis-bryant\/14484\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"14484\" target=\"_blank\">Genesis Bryant<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/adalia-mckenzie\/14487\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"14487\" target=\"_blank\">Adalia McKenzie<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/makira-cook\/14485\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"14485\" target=\"_blank\">Makira Cook<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/brynn-shoup-hill\/14488\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"14488\" target=\"_blank\">Brynn Shoup-Hill<\/a> \u2014 all of whom concluded decorated collegiate careers.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Despite the turnover in scoring, the Illini bring in eight high-impact additions through recruiting and the portal. With elite size, athleticism, and skill across every position group, <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/coaches\/shauna-green\/2268\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"2268\" target=\"_blank\">Shauna Green<\/a>&#8216;s squad steps into a new era of Illinois Women&#8217;s Basketball, one defined by upside and opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>TALLEST PLAYER IN PROGRAM HISTORY<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Listed at 6&#8217;7&#8243;, <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/lety-vasconcelos\/15255\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15255\" target=\"_blank\">Lety Vasconcelos<\/a> is the tallest player in program history. While the Illini have had various student-athletes at 6&#8217;6&#8243; in the past \u2014 including Aicha Ndour from 2022-2024 \u2014 the extra inch makes Vasconcelos the tallest Illini ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While she&#8217;s the tallest Illini, Vasconcelos is tied for tallest in the conference, as Purdue&#8217;s Avery Gordon and UCLA&#8217;s Lauren Betts are also listed at the same height.<\/p>\n<p>SWITCHING TEAMS<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Illinois acquired <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/aaliyah-guyton\/15263\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15263\" target=\"_blank\">Aaliyah Guyton<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/maddie-webber\/15264\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15264\" target=\"_blank\">Maddie Webber<\/a> from the transfer portal this summer, two players who had faced off with Illinois at their previous schools.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Guyton, the sophomore guard, played her freshman season at Iowa, where she averaged 4.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. She made 29 appearances throughout the season, and coincidentally, made her first career start at Illinois.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In two seasons at Villanova, Webber averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. While Villanova faced off with Illinois in the 2023-24 WBIT Final, Webber didn&#8217;t make an appearance in the contest. She was named to second-team All-BIG EAST Second Team in her sophomore season.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Illini also added <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/gisela-segura\/15265\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"15265\" target=\"_blank\">Gisela Segura<\/a> in the summer of 2025. A graduate student, she comes to Champaign after one season at LIU. Previously, she played the 2020-24 seasons at Division II Franklin Pierce.<\/p>\n<p>ADDING JACKIE ALEXANDER<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Illinois hired <a href=\"https:\/\/fightingillini.com\/sports\/womens-basketball\/roster\/coaches\/jackie-alexander\/2273\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"2273\" target=\"_blank\">Jackie Alexander<\/a> as an assistant coach in the 2025 offseason. Alexander joins the program after one season as an assistant coach at Toledo.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Prior to Toledo, Alexander held positions at East Tennessee State (2021-24), Eastern Kentucky (2019-21), Albany (2018-19), and Air Force (2017-18).<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">A native of Broadhead, Kentucky, Alexander served as an Army officer for three years following her undergraduate career 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 while in the Army.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&#13; Story Links&#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; Illinois Starters Last Game (vs. Murray State)&#13; &#13; &#13; Pos.&#13;&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":55999,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[232,234,233],"class_list":["post-55998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}