The women’s Illinois basketball program has really hit a golden era since Shauna Green took over.
In the four seasons Green has been at the helm, the Illini have become nationally relevant for the first time in essentially my lifetime. But even those teams that broke through and made the NCAA tournament had flaws.
Illinois has always had some glaring issues, regardless of wins and losses. The past three seasons, we haven’t been the most athletic team. The defense has slacked at times. And Illinois hasn’t had the elite-level players.
Coming into the 2025-26 season, Illinois landed some great freshmen to help bolster the roster. Through the first 13 games of the season, you couldn’t be sure if this team was a legitimate top program or if we just played lower-level programs.
On Thursday afternoon, everything changed. Illinois showed the world what we have against No. 7 Maryland in a 73-70 upset win. We were 12.5-point underdogs coming into the contest, and we secured the top 10 victory.
Moreover, what this win over Maryland shows me is that this team is elite. It isn’t the teams of the past that had some glaring issues. Illinois, as of right now, is a top team in the country with top talent that can beat any program.
There is no fraudulent feeling about this team. Illinois can play on the perimeter or in the paint. We can lock you down on defense. The ball moves. We have athletes all over the court.
Berry Wallace is the best player I have ever seen suit up for the Illini. She hits three-pointers, she plays in the paint, she is great at rebounding, and she has a great physicality about her.
This was a welcome-to-the-show moment for the Illinois basketball program. This team is young and hungry, and I am here for every moment.
Illinois basketball has had an incredible start to the gauntlet Big Ten schedule
It was less than two weeks ago that I typed an article and talked about how the cupcake schedule was over for the Illini, and that reality was about to strike the program.
This article was about the weak non-conference Illinois played, and the tough upcoming Big Ten schedule that featured eight out of the first 12 games being against ranked opponents. This was the true test of the strength of this program.
Through the first two games of that 12-game stretch, Illinois has done an incredible job. We are 2-0 in that stretch with a win over a top 10 team. More tough games await, but you couldn’t ask for a better start to an extremely tough schedule.
When it is all said and done, the win over Maryland is going to be a huge resume builder. Look for Illinois to skyrocket up the AP Top 25 poll, something that has eluded the program for over a month now.