Illinois head to Lincoln to Face #24 Nebraska

Preview

Game 20: RV Illinois (15-4, 5-3) hosts #24 Nebraska (14-5, 3-5)

Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 - 1pm CT

TV: Big Ten Network - Fox Sports App

Radio: Busey Ban Illini Sports Network

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 234-114 (.672), 12th season
Division I Record: 205-89 (.697), 10th season
At Illinois: 78-39 (.667), Fourth season
Big Ten Record: 35-27 (.565), Fourth season

THE NEXT WIN WOULD...

• Move the Illini to 9-21 all-time vs. Nebraska
• Improve Green to 4-3 overall vs. Nebraska
• Move Illinois to 3-9 vs. Nebraska in Lincoln
• Move Illinois to 23-19 in road games under Green
• Mark UI's first 6-3 B1G start since 2022-23
• Move Green's career record to 234-114 in 12 seasons
• Improve Green to 36-27 in Big Ten games
• Move Green's DI record to 206-89 in 10 seasons
• Move Green's Illinois record to 79-39
• Give Illinois WBB an all-time record of 725-779
• Move UI to 2-3 vs. ranked teams this season

OPENING TIP

The 52nd campaign of Illinois women's basketball continues on Saturday, Jan. 24, when Illinois visits Nebraska for a 1 p.m. CT game on Big Ten Network from Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mike Koon (PxP) will call the action for the Illini on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (1400 AM/93.9 FM). Streaming, audio, and stats links are also available at FightingIllini.com/WBB.

• Illinois has a ranked win all 4 seasons under Green
• Illinois has been ranked at some point during all four seasons under Green
• The Illini's 11-game win streak was the longest single-season streak and tied the longest win streak that spanned the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons
• 10 noncon wins tied program record
• Illinois went a perfect 6-0 in December
• Best 14-game start in program history at 13-1
• Matched best 15-game start at 13-2
• Illinois' 3-0 start in Big Ten play was the program's best start since a 4-0 start during the 1999-2000 season
• The Illini faced a 3-game 7-day span vs. ranked opponents (#7/6 Maryland, at #24/19 Michigan State, #19/19 Ohio State)
• Illinois' next 3 opponents are ranked

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Nebraska is off to a 14-5 start on the season including a 3-5 reading in Big Ten play. The Cornhuskers and Illini both have shared wins against Illinois State, Indiana, and Purdue. UN is 10-2 in home games this season. Head coach Amy Williams is in her 10th season in Lincoln has lead the Huskers to back to back NCAA tournament appearances.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFO

Illinois trails the all-time series against Nebraska, 8-21, with Saturday's game marking the 30th all-time meeting. The Wildcats lead 9-2 when the series has been played in Lincoln. Illinois has gone 3-3 in the last six meetings vs. Nebraska since Shauna Green took over the program after losing eight straight to the Cornhuskers prior to her arrival.

19-GAME START

Illinois' 15-4 start through 19 games matches the second-best start in program history.

BEST 19-GAME STARTS

Rank Season Record Coach

BEST 20-GAME STARTS

The best 20-game start in program history is a 16-4 reading, achieved four times, most recently by Green's 2023-24 squad. The 2025-26 Illinois team has the chance to match the top mark of 16-4 on Saturday with a win.

BEST 20-GAME STARTS

Rank Season       Record   Coach

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

Since the arrival of Shauna Green, Illinois has taken care of the basketball at an elite clip, turning in three straight seasons ranked with the second fewest turnovers in the Big Ten. The staff's goal is 13 turnovers or less per game and the Orange and Blue have averaged below that all three seasons completed seasons.

TURNOVERS/GAME UNDER GREEN

Season  Avg. B1G Rank D-1 Rank

EFFICIENCY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE

Green's Illini have been incredibly efficient from the free throw line. Illinois has led the Big Ten in free throw shooting the last two completed seasons and is doing so once again in 2025-26. The Illini's numbers from 2023-24 and 2024-25 are the two best completed single-season free throw percentages in program history. Following the holiday break, Illinois leads Division I with an 83.5% mark from the stripe.

FREE THROW PERCENTAGE UNDER GREEN

Season  Pct. B1G Rank D-1 Rank

MADDIE WEBBER OFF THE BENCH

After starting 47 games across her two seasons at Villanova, Maddie Webber has embraced a new role at Illinois and is owning it. Webber become an instant spark for the Fighting Illini off the bench and is putting up a strong argument to be considered the sixth player of the year. Webber came off the bench for the first 17 games of the season and earned her first start as an Illini at Michigan due to a starter being out with injury. Beginning with the game vs. Northwestern, Webber asked to come off the bench for Illinois. Webber is one of just six P4 players across NCAA DI averaging 11.3+ points per game that has started 1 or fewer games this season.

Webber has scored in double figures 11 games in 2025-26 including a pair of 20-point outings. The junior is averaging 11.3 ppg across 23.7 mpg and is shooting marks of 47.1% FG, 45.3 3FG, and 72.0% FT. Webber exploded for 17 points in the fourth quarter at Michigan State on Jan. 4, the most points in a frame under Green.

PLAYER     SCHOOL            PPG FG%3 FG% MPG

BERRY WALLACE'S SOPHOMORE SURGE

Through 19 games of the 2025-26 campaign, Fighting Illini sophomore Berry Wallace is averaging 19.6 points per game up from 9.0 ppg last season, despite being at the top of every opponents' scout.

Along with her 19.6 points, Wallace is averaging 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks across 34.3 minutes per game. The Pickerington, Ohio, native opened the season with four consecutive 20-point outings, including the first double-double of her career in the Orange and Blue's season opener. Wallace is shooting a scorching 52.4% FG, 36.5% 3FG, and 87.9 FT% through 19 games.

Wallace's four straight 20-point games to open the season made her the only player in a P4 + Big East conference to do so. The sophomore is up to 11 20-point games on the season.