Junior guard Maddie Webber was a major get this past summer for the Illinois basketball program, and she showed the world why by surpassing a significant milestone this past Sunday.
Webber, a Bridgeville, Pennsylvania product, began her college career with her local Villanova Wildcats. She became one of the premier wings in the Big East in her two seasons with the team, making the Big East All-Rookie team her freshman year and the Big East second team as a sophomore.
Webber would then transfer to the Illini in the summer after her sophomore year, and ended up becoming one of the biggest acquisitions that head coach Shauna Green could've asked for. The veteran wing has found great success in the "long guard" role, averaging fourth-most points on the team (11.3) while shooting 42% from long range.
It has been a bountiful 2025-26 campaign for the Pennsylvania native, and it has led to Webber surpassing 1,000 career points this past Sunday in Evanston against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Maddie Webber surpassed 1,000 career points in yesterday's win!
— Illinois Women's Basketball (@IlliniWBB) February 23, 2026
Check out the bucket that achieved the milestone 🔶🔷 pic.twitter.com/ZtvtKxIwmv
There was plenty of scoring for the Illini in this game, but Webber's elite presence off the bench just continued to change the game. In 27 games this season, Webber has averaged 11.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 42% from three-point range. She was one of five players for Illinois to score in double-digits on Sunday, but her night ended up landing her with some of the greats.
Maddie Webber will be a key piece to Illinois basketball's success down the stretch
The women's Illinois basketball team has an NCAA Tournament bid waiting for them as they make their way into March. They have one of the better up-and-coming lineups in the country this season that is expected to walk into the tourney as a No. 8 seed as of writing this.
Green has a plethora of scoring options at her disposal, with the likes of sophomore Berry Wallace and freshman Cearah Parchment making up the best frontcourt in the country. But it is Webber who is the key lynch pin in Illinois' whole plan.
Webber has become an essential depth piece for the Illini, who can provide elite offensive firepower off the bench at a moment's notice. She has become a pivotal sixth piece to Illinois' overall puzzle, who can seamlessly change out with her teammates in order to give them a break.
If Illinois wants to make a deep run in the postseason, then they are going to need all hands on deck. Granted, Wallace and Parchment are going to be two of the bigger names to keep an eye on, but Webber's ability to give a spark and change a game off the bench will be the difference-maker, especially against stout lineups like the UConn Huskies.