The women's Illinois basketball team walked through the fire against the No. 2 UCLA Bruins, and will now look to turn things around in Seattle against the No. 25 Washington Huskies.
The Illini are in desperate need of a ranked win on Sunday, after losing their last five games against ranked opponents. They need to make a splash with their resumé, as March is quickly approaching and their game against Iowa is the only other ranked matchup left on their schedule.
Illinois will need to come out firing on all cylinders against head coach Tina Langley's squad. But what are some key questions we should ask ourselves before their 5:00 PM CST tipoff?
1. Will sophomore forward Berry Wallace bounce back from her game against UCLA?
This season, the great Berry Wallace has been the floor general for Illinois. The Pickerington, Ohio, product is leading the Illini with an astounding 19.3 points per game.
However, this past Wednesday was a bit of an outlier for Illinois' superstar. In 40 minutes of play against the Bruins, Wallace was only able to manage 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 17.6% shooting from the field.
It was a tough day at the office for the five-star recruit, but it was a performance that we shouldn't expect to see again. Wallace is too talented a player to have multiple stinkers in a row. We should expect the forward to come out guns blazing and for her to return to form against Washington.
2. Can Illinois' defense shut down Washington's junior guard Sayvia Sellers?
The Huskies have been one of the grittiest teams in the nation so far this season. They have maintained a top 25 ranking since the start of the New Year, winning six of their last eight games, including two against No. 6 Michigan and No. 16 Maryland.
Washington is cementing themselves as a sneaky good pick for March, and they've been doing it behind the stellar play of junior guard Sayvia Sellers. The Anchorage, Alaska, product has been putting on a show for coach Langley's squad all season long, averaging a team-high 19.2 points per game on 49.2% shooting from the field.
Sellers has been the living embodiment of the phrase "you go, we go" for the Huskies this season, and I expect her to do the same on Sunday against the Illini. Illinois will need to be prepared for the exciting upperclassman and will need to break through Washington's stellar defense early and often to compensate for what she may do.
3. Will Illinois' bigs capitalize against Washington's guard-heavy attack?
The Illini have a young roster that consists of budding stars at every position. Whether it's freshman Destiny Jackson at the point or forward Cearah Parchment at the five, the team has the potential to get the job done at any spot on the floor.
But in Sunday's matchup, it will be Illinois' bigs who will need to answer the call against a smaller Washington squad. The Huskies are a team that loves to run four guards and one center on their opening lineup, with freshman forward Brynn McGaughy as the primary sixth player more often than not.
The Starting 5. Powered by @TMobile 5G. pic.twitter.com/ATyFRGOwGJ
— Washington Women’s Basketball (@UW_WBB) January 28, 2026
The Illini have what it takes to overcome this, especially with the way their unit can stretch the floor at every position. But they will certainly need to pay attention to the speed of Washington's top unit, and not let them blow past for easy buckets.