The women's Illinois basketball program is hot on the recruiting trail this offseason and is quickly preparing for the day when their young roster inevitably departs the program.
Shauna Green has been firing on all cylinders ever since she took over the Illini, with her biggest offseason coming in 2025 when she brought in the No. 4-ranked recruiting class in the country.
Illinois has been constantly recruiting and scouting the future of their program, and just the other day, they continued their preparation by extending an offer to 2028 four-star guard Jaylah King.
2028 4⭐️ Bishop McNamara guard Jaylah King has received an offer from Illinois.
— Caden Ferguson (@4qhcaden) May 14, 2026
Illinois now joins an already stacked offer list that includes Ohio State, Syracuse, SMU, Michigan, Clemson, among others.
Her recruitment continues to grow, and the summer is only getting started… pic.twitter.com/NFtl2sDPHq
King, a product of Bishop McNamara in Forestville, Maryland, is quickly rising through the ranks as one of the top backcourt recruits in the country. The 5-foot-9 combo-guard is currently the No. 1-ranked recruit in the state of Maryland, and has continued to stack up major collegiate offers throughout the past two seasons.
The No. 36-ranked player in the country has really made a name for herself as a quick and crafty guard who thrives on creativity. As stated on MadeHoops.com, King's game can really be summed up like this;
"At 5-foot-9, she [Jayla] plays with pace, control, and a level of composure that stands out for a young guard competing at a high-level program like Bishop McNamara."
Jaylah King's tenacity and creative nature can turn her into the next must-watch collegiate guard for the Illinois basketball program
King is proving that she is one of the top guards in the class of 2028, whose top-notch skill set, both on and off the ball, has helped set her apart from the rest of the country. She has been a masterful ball-handler for Bishop McNamara, highlighted by a smooth mid-range jumper to cap things off.
The best part of King's game, however, has to be her creativity at the rim. Her dynamic ability to create shots at a moment's notice has become a staple of her game, and something that teams have had to pay close attention to.
Granted, there are some parts of her game that she still needs to work on, such as her shooting on the perimeter. But right now, King's standing couldn't be any higher. If she can make waves like this as a sophomore, then who knows how much she will be excelling by 2028.
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