By Kedric Prince - IlliniGyuys Director of Recruiting

November 13th. 2024

Champaign, IL – The Illinois women’s basketball program is off to a strong start with its 2025 recruiting class for head coach Shauna Green. In her third year at Illinois, Green has assembled the nation’s 7th-ranked recruiting class, according to ESPNW’s HoopGurlz.

The top 10 programs in order are: LSU, North Carolina, Stanford, UConn, Miami, Kansas State, Illinois, Mississippi State, Washington, and Alabama. Illinois and Washington are the only Big Ten programs in the top 10.

Meet the Early Signees:

Erica Finney

A 6-foot guard from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Erica Finney averaged 8.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and shot 35.9% from three-point range. Finney's numbers may not jump off the page, but her shooting ability adds value to Illinois’ lineup.

Why Illinois?

“I really liked the family feel of the team and coaches, which was important to me with moving to the other side of the world. I also love the team’s style of play along with Coach Green's competitive nature and clear plan for the program's future.”

Coach Green’s thoughts on Finney:

“Erica Finney comes to us from Australia. She’s an elite shooter with deep, deep range. Erica can shoot it from the logo, so when you have an ability like that, she can really stretch the floor and has an endless range. She is someone that’s going to really help us, especially with a lot of fours and fives that we’ve added in this class. Now defenses are going to have to go out and guard her. Erica is a really tough kid and competitor who brings a lot of grit to us.”

Manuella Alves

Standing at 6-foot-3 and originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Manuella Alves spent her junior year at Central Pointe Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida. In 21 games, she averaged 7.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. Alves is ranked No. 61 in ESPNW’s HoopGurlz rankings.

Why Illinois?

“I chose Illinois because I felt it was the right place for me. I know that I’m going to grow as a player and as a person. I want to be great, and I know that Illinois is going to make me great.”

Coach Green’s thoughts on Alves:

“We are so excited to have Manuella join our family. She’s someone that I have watched for the last couple of years, and I’ve loved her since I first saw her. She is a tough, physical post presence who can score with her back to the basket, defend, and is not afraid to get down there and be really, really physical, which I love. She brings that toughness to our game, and to our team. With us graduating Kendall Bostic, we really needed someone that can come in and play four and five for us.”

Cearah Parchment

A 6-foot-3 forward from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, Cearah Parchment attends Fort Erie International Academy and is ranked No. 40 by ESPNW’s HoopGurlz. She averaged 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.5 steals, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 block per game at the 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship.

Why Illinois?

“I chose Illinois because it was the best fit for my playing style. Illinois is building something really special. I look forward to contributing to the continued growth of the program! The coaches have also been a part of my recruiting process since the beginning, so we've been able to build a great relationship.”

Coach Green’s thoughts on Parchment:

“Cearah Parchment hails from Toronto, and I can’t wait to have her here in Champaign. She is a very versatile player with great size and length; someone that is going to be able to play a variety of positions for us. Cearah can play wing, or the stretch-four, and has the ability to stretch the floor, shoot the three, go off the bounce, and not to mention has really added rebounding to her game. I think the sky’s the limit for Cece; the potential is there, she can just be an elite player.”

Destiny Jackson

Destiny Jackson, a 5-foot-6 point guard from Chicago, Illinois, is the only five-star recruit in Illinois’ 2025 class. Ranked No. 25 by ESPNW’s HoopGurlz, Jackson was named First Team All-State as a junior.

Why Illinois?

“I chose the University of Illinois because it felt like home from the moment I stepped on campus. Growing up in Illinois, I wanted to stay connected to my roots, and Illinois gives me the perfect balance of familiarity and new opportunities. The players and coaches welcomed me like family, and I could feel the support and shared drive in the program. I believe in the vision the coaching staff has for me and for the team, and I’m excited to be part of a program that values me and my potential as both a player and a person.”

Coach Green’s thoughts on Jackson:

“We are so excited to have Destiny Jackson join our Illini family; she’s an elite point guard who hails from the state of Illinois and from Chicago. She brings such a toughness and grittiness to our team which obviously, with two departing point guards, Destiny is going to have a big role to play and be able to take over that point guard position. She has the ability to score at all three levels with her 3-point shot, her mid-range, and her ability to get to the rim. Destiny is a dynamic scorer, a dynamic point guard.”

Jackson also said, “I think our class can be really good, I like it, we have a core group and we’re going to get developed into great players so the future is really bright at Illinois.”

Illinois may add one or two more high school recruits before the season ends and is also expected to utilize the transfer portal this spring.

Player stats and some quotes provided by the University of Illinois SID.

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email: KedIlliniGuys@gmail.com