The women's Illinois basketball team has one of the most promising young rosters in the country, with three of their five starters this upcoming season being former five-star recruits out of high school.
This is a very talented Illini bunch with a deep bench, whose various attributes give Shauna Green the ability to be very creative with her play-calling. The program is in a great spot when compared to years past, but they will need to prepare themselves for when their current crop of talent has to leave.
Thankfully, there is a very impressive group of talent rising the ranks when it comes to the class of 2027. But who are two of the top names out there who can really change the Illini for the better?
Jayla Forbes - Center - Montverde, FL
Jayla Forbes is easily one of the most impressive recruits in the class of 2027, standing at 6-foot-7 with great size and length. She is a dominant force under the basket, who averaged 11.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season for Montverde.
In the coming years, we are going to have to say goodbye to the likes of Berry Wallace and Lety Vasconcelos due to graduation. There will be a major hole left in the frontcourt for the Illini, and the dominance of Forbes could certainly fill that void.
As of writing this, it may be difficult for Illinois to convince Forbes to leave her state, as they find themselves fourth in On3's prediction model behind hometown schools UCF and Florida. But it's anyone's ballgame right now, and with someone like four-star Forbes on the market, the Illini would be crazy not to go all-in on the lengthy center.
Sydney Mobley - Power Forward - Delaware, OH
As previously stated, the women's basketball program will be losing a few key frontcourt members in the coming years. But they may be able to make up for those departures with the addition of four-star power forward Sydney Mobley from Delaware, Ohio.
Mobley, the No. 16 recruit in the country according to On3, recently named the Illini as one of her final three teams in her recruiting process, joining her hometown school of Ohio State as well as Virginia Tech.
The former Ms. Ohio would be a fantastic addition to a stout Illinois squad down low with her great rebounding and ability to be electric in transition. The only thing the Illini will have to keep an eye on, though, is her ties to the Buckeyes, as they currently have a 54.9% probability to land Mobley, according to On3's prediction model.
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