Skip to main content
Writing Illini
Fansided

Walk-on guard continues to be a big part of Illinois basketball's depth

The depth of the women's Illinois basketball program runs deep in Champaign, and it includes this walk-on, whose story has been really impressive.
ByKellen Sherman|
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on Reddit
Google Discover
Illinois coach Shauna Green yells to her team during the first half against Colorado in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Illinois coach Shauna Green yells to her team during the first half against Colorado in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 21, 2026. | ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The women's basketball program has a lot of talent at its disposal, with depth on their bench that can rival some of the best in the country.

The Illini, led by all-conference superstar Berry Wallace, experienced one of the best retention rates in the country this offseason and will look to build upon their success from a year ago.

It will be an exciting stretch to the finish line during the 2026-27 season, with Shauna Green fielding a roster consisting of stars like Destiny Jackson and Divine Bourrage. But a little further down the depth chart, there is one player with arguably the most interesting story of them all, and that is junior guard Mia Zenere.

Zenere, a product of Mokena, Illinois, first joined the program prior to the 2024-25 season as a walk-on. Before arriving in Champaign, she spent three of her high school seasons playing for Example Academy, where she averaged 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.

In her two years with the Illini, Zenere has been used a little more sparingly in Green's offense, averaging 0.4 points through 16 games played. But when she is on the court, Zenere has the ability to make every minute count with her tenacity and grit as a player.

Illinois basketball has a great talent in Mia Zenere, who is equipped with many different talents

During the 2026-27 season, Green is going to have one of the best rosters in the country on paper. It doesn't matter which way you slice it, the Illini are quite honestly in the best position that a team can be.

Sadly, this may pose a problem to Zenere when it comes to playing time, as she will need to contend with the likes of Jackson and Bourrage for minutes. As of right now, it's hard to see her breaking through to the top of the team in that regard.

To say that her journey to this point has been impressive would be an understatement, as she was able to walk on to this team as a true freshman while they were going through a major coaching change. Not only that, but she also received the opportunity to perform on one of the biggest stages in college sports, the Final Four.

Simply put, Zenere has been a major role model for every young Illini fan across the country, and she will continue to help bring smiles and positive energy to a team that has so much going for it in 2026-27.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Home/Illinois Basketball