It was nice to see the women’s Illinois basketball team back in action on Thursday night, even if it was just an exhibition game.
The 2025-26 campaign is on the horizon, and the Illini showed what they had on the roster against an overmatched Maryville squad.
Will an exhibition show everything Illinois has? No, the opponent wasn’t nearly as good as Illinois, but what we did get to see was the mindset of Shauna Green, and who is going to step up this season for the program.
Illinois had a great recruiting class enter the mix that featured three four-star recruits and a five-star guard. One of the questions I had entering the exhibition game was whether a freshman would step up and be a big-time player for this team. The answer is yes.
On Thursday night, freshman forward Cearah Parchment showed out in a big way. She led the Illini with 22 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, and one steal. She was 7-of-11 from the field and converted 6-of-7 from three-point range.
Sneaky three👻@JacksonDestoo ➡️ Cearah Parchment pic.twitter.com/6Jl8GZk4Lp
— Illinois Women's Basketball (@IlliniWBB) October 31, 2025
Honestly, I had no idea this is what Illinois was getting with Parchment. She is incredible. That isn’t just me overhyping the talent because they played a bad team. Parchment has the size and talent that I don’t believe Illinois has ever had on the roster.
Cearah Parchment will be an incredibly hard player to guard for the Illinois basketball team
Illinois will always miss Kendall Bostic. She was able to scoop up rebounds with the best of the best. But I believe the Illini have a Bostic-type player with Parchment.
Parchment is always in good position to snag rebounds. She is smart about where she is on the court at all times. At 6-foot-3, she uses her size and athletic ability to get what she wants in the rebounding department.
What puts Parchment over the top is her offensive skillset, though. She is able to knock down shots from all levels on the floor. Her inside game is elite, and then Illinois can use her in the pick-and-pop at the top of the key. The fact that Parchment was a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range should scare opponents.
Illinois hasn’t had a new-aged paint player. Bostic started to get more comfortable shooting from distance in her final season, but it was too late. Now, Parchment is picking up where Bostic left off. Something special is happening in Champaign.