Illinois basketball looking to add massive 2026 recruit to the roster

The women’s Illinois basketball program is on a sharp rise upward, and there is no stop in sight.

Through three seasons with Shauna Green as the head coach, the Illini have made two NCAA tournament appearances and won a game in the postseason for the first time in a quarter-century.

That mark alone would deem the Green era of Illinois basketball successful. To go along with the winning, the program has had tremendous success on the recruiting front as well.

Green immediately brought in a slew of transfer portal talent to build around Kendall Bostic. She then landed Gretchen Dolan in 2023. The 2024 class brought Illinois’ first five-star recruit, Berry Wallace. Illinois now has a legendary 2025 class coming in that features three four-star recruits and a five-star point guard.

Not wanting to slow down on the recruiting front, Green is now looking to contend for a top player in the class of 2026. On Friday, Talia Goodman of On3.com reported that GiGi Battle has started to schedule her official visits. Battle will start off with a visit to Stanford on June 23. She will then head to Illinois on June 25. The official visit train then makes stops at Rutgers on August 4, Georgia on September 26, and Indiana on October 16. A visit to Ohio State seems to also be in the works.

This is a big-time recruit Illinois is in the running for. Battle is a 5-foot-11 guard from DME Academy in New Jersey. She is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 44 player in the class of 2026.

Illinois basketball is loading up on some of the best talent in the college game

Battle has a nose to the grindstone type of game on the court. She isn’t going to wow you with her incredible shooting, but she is a scorer. Battle can get to the hoop, draw contact, and finish with a bucket. Her aggression toward the basket will make her so valuable on the court.

Being in the running for Battle is huge for the Illini, too. She is one of the top 50 players in the class of 2026, and she would give Illinois a huge boost on the wing.

Just think about what Illinois could have when 2026-27 rolls around. Five-star Destiny Jackson and Dolan at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively. Five-star Wallace at the No. 3 spot. And then a combination of Cearah Parchement, Manuella Alves-Fernandez, Naomi Benson, and Battle, all four-star recruits, fighting over the final two starting jobs.

Illinois is in such a good place as a program. We aren’t just treading water. The Illini have a legitimate chance to be national title-contending good in the years to come.