The Final Four is always an amazing spectacle, with not just Illinois basketball fans but fans from all across the country converging on one location to see the very best duke it out for a shot at the national championship.
It's a time of year when the NCAA can pack 70,000+ fans into one stadium and have one of the most electric events on the sports calendar. It doesn't matter who you are or what part you play at the school; moments like this are a celebration of our favorite school's achievements.
Prior to Saturday night's game between Illinois and UConn, that was certainly the case when a member of the women's Illinois basketball program took part in a beautiful and emotional rendition of the National Anthem.
Tonight's National Anthem is performed by student-athletes representing each school in the #MFinalFour! 🙌#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/8EgxpyNjfk
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2026
Mia Zenere, a sophomore guard from Mokena, Illinois, was one of the four representatives from the final four schools in the NCAA tournament to participate in this beautiful moment. She showed off her vocals in front of a football stadium of fans, and absolutely killed the national anthem with the other three women around her.
Zenere joined the team as a walk-on prior to the 2024-25 season, making her Illinois debut on November 14 of that season vs. Eastern Illinois. The 5-foot-11 guard played for Example Academy in high school, where she averaged 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game.
Mia Zenere and the Illinois basketball program will look to build on their success in 2026
The Illinois basketball team turned a lot of heads this past season as they reached the Round of 32 with the youngest team in the Big Ten. The Illini, led by Berry Wallace and Cearah Parchment, will have a chance to build on their immense success with basically the same team intact.
It will be another fun run with Shauna Green at the helm, especially with Manuella Alves and Gretchen Dolan making their returns from injury. It will be a big step forward in the development of this program, and Zenere will be there for it all.
100 points 🤝 Mia Zenere's first points of the season pic.twitter.com/oggLDP4CHB
— Illinois Women's Basketball (@IlliniWBB) December 1, 2025
Congrats to Zenere on this monumental moment. This was a special time in her collegiate career, and I hope that the vibes continue into next season.