The women’s Illinois basketball program has defied all odds during the 2024-25 campaign.
Just being in the conversation for an NCAA tournament berth over the past couple of decades has been hard for the Illini. These selections don’t come around often, but Shauna Green had this team ready to go for the start of the season.
Poised to clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament for the second time in three seasons, the Illini got off to a blazing hot start. We won the first six games, which included a victory over then-No. 19 Florida State. It was a convincing win as well.
As the season went on, Illinois felt the wrath of the injury bug. We lost two key pieces in Makira Cook, followed by Gretchen Dolan. Cook was a starter, and Dolan was giving Illinois crucial minutes as the first player off the bench.
Honestly, when Cook and Dolan bowed out for the season, I thought the Illini would struggle. I was fully expecting Illinois’ record to suffer. Cook’s final game was December 8 while Dolan’s final game was December 28. Since the turn of the calendar to 2025, Illinois hasn’t had these two great guards. The result?
Resilience
Starting with the game against Washington on December 31, Illinois is 10-5 overall and 10-5 in the Big Ten. A team that is essentially playing with six players, and the sixth being a true freshman, has risen up to fight instead of folding and going home.
This fight has earned the Illini a spot in the NCAA tournament. While nothing is official, Illinois is a lock to go dancing once again, as there is only one game left of the 2024-25 campaign.
On Friday, ESPN's Charlie Creme released an updated bracketology prediction about where the Illini will land. He has the Orange and Blue in the Birmingham side of the bracket, and Illinois would be slotted as the No. 8 seed.
ESPN has us heading to Columbia for the first two rounds of the Birmingham bracket. Georgia Tech is the team we are projected to play. The winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup would have the privilege to go up against Dawn Staley and her juggernaut South Carolina program.
Illinois basketball projected to land the best seed in the NCAA tournament in over 20 years
While I would not be happy about the potential second-round matchup, making the NCAA tournament and winning a game would be a big accomplishment and a step in the right direction for the Illini.
Illinois made the NCAA tournament in Green’s first season back in 2022-23. We didn’t advance, though. That appearance was as a No. 11 seed as well. The last time Illinois made the Big Dance as a No. 8 seed or better was in 2000. That is right, 25 years ago. The Illini entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed. That was also the last time we advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Here is another tidbit to ponder, the 2024-25 campaign isn’t done. Illinois could still move up in the NCAA tournament seeding. With a regular season finale win over Michigan, and a nice little run in the Big Ten Tournament, who knows how high we could climb? The one thing I do know is that this team is resilient, and we are going to be a nightmare out in the postseason.