Legendary recruiting class to usher in new generation of Illinois basketball

The women’s Illinois basketball team is on pace to reach great heights during the 2024-25 campaign.

It has been a fun ride the past two seasons. In 2022-23, the Illini made it to the NCAA tournament and gave this fanbase some hope again. Last season, after some injuries and a rough start, Illinois finished strong and won the inaugural WBIT tournament.

The trajectory for the program has been upward since Shauna Green took over. She has Illinois playing some great basketball. It is amazing that she also got nearly everyone from last year’s roster back for one more run.

That re-recruitment of her current players was huge. Four out of the five main starters this season started last year. This experience has been great thus far, as we have taken down a ranked Florida State program and the chemistry is at a high level.

I have full belief in this team wherever the season ends up. There has also been the thought about what the team is going to look like in 2025-26.

Illinois is going to lose a ton of talent. Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, Makira Cook, Brynn Shoup-Hill, and Adalia McKenzie will all depart the program. That leaves five starting jobs open.

Most programs would be decimated by that much production lost in the offseason. For Illinois, I think we will be okay. Green hasn’t just been building this team into a winner. She has been building the foundation of the program at the same time.

A legendary recruiting class is going to usher in a new generation of the women’s Illinois basketball program

Let’s talk about what Illinois already has on the roster that is returning in 2025-26. Gretchen Dolan got the start in the last game due to Cook being injured. She is a superstar in the making. Dolan will only be a junior next season.

Jasmine Brown-Hagger has looked great in the last couple of games. She went off against Eastern Illinois for a team-high 23 points off the bench. Brown-Hagger is back as a junior next season as well.

Dolan and Brown-Hagger will be the two veterans who will lead this team in experience. I project both players will be starters too. Illinois also has former five-star Berry Wallace in the frontcourt. We also have a lot of size coming back with Hayven Smith (6-foot-6), Lety Vasconcelos (6-foot-7), and Shay Bollin (6-foot-3) returning.

Just with the squad returning, I think Illinois would be a decent team. But we needed more talent to help the program go from solid to Big Ten contender. Green came through with a legendary recruiting class to help bolster the roster.

Illinois signed five players this week with the most recent coming on Friday when four-star Naomi Benson picked the Illini and signed the same day.

The Illinois basketball class of 2025 is absolutely ridiculous as well.

Destiny Jackson – 5-star, #25 overall

Illinois landed another five-star in the class of 2025. Destiny Jackson should be able to come in and start from day one alongside Dolan and Brown-Haggar in the backcourt.

Cearah Parchment – 4-star, #40 overall

Green was able to add more size to the frontcourt with the addition of 6-foot-2 forward Cearah Parchment. She is the No. 40 player in the class of 2025, giving Illinois two top-40 recruits. Look for Parchment and Wallace to be forces for the Illini in the future.

Manuella Alves – 4-star, #61 overall

Building that depth in the frontcourt is extremely important. Illinois added Manuella Alves this past week. She is 6-foot-3 and will play alongside Parchment and Wallace. Illinois has never had this much frontcourt talent in the history of the program.

Naomi Benson – 4-star, #98 overall

Naomi Benson was a huge addition at the end of the signing period for the Illini. She brings great size to the program. Benson can play the No. 3 or No. 4 spot on the court, and she gives Green more flexibility with the roster.

Erica Finney – NR

The lesser of the known signees, Erica Finney gives Illinois’ backcourt more shooting. We are heavy in the frontcourt moving forward, but with Finney’s ability to shoot from distance, Illinois is going to be an extremely dangerous program.

With so much talent in tow, it will be interesting to see how Green irons out the starting lineup for next season.

My guess is, you are looking at a lineup of something like Destiny Jackson, Gretchen Dolan, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Berry Wallace, and Hayven Smith. And then you have an insane amount of talent coming off the bench. Illinois basketball is loaded for the 2025-26 season.