(From Illinois Sports Information Office)

Illinois vs. Nebraska

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 217-105 (.674), 11th season
Division I Record: 188-80 (.701), Ninth season
At Illinois: 61-30 (.670), Third season
Big Ten Record: 29-21 (.580), Third season

OPENING TIP

The 51st campaign of Fighting Illini women's basketball continues on Sunday evening, when Illinois hosts Nebraska State at State Farm Center at 4 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. Mike Koon 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 won 10 games before Christmas (Dec. 25) for the first time since 2022-23 and for the second time since 2006-07.
• Illinois has earned a win over a ranked opponent for the third consecutive season and is up to five under Green.
• Head coach Shauna Green earned her 200th win as a head coach on Nov. 14, 2024 vs. Eastern Illinois.
• The Fighting Illini have now been ranked in the Top 25 in all three seasons under Green.
• Illinois faced a ranked team in its Big Ten opener for the third straight season (#12/7 Ohio State, --/25 Michigan, #5/4 Indiana).
• Illinois returned four 1,000-career point scorers, tied for the most in the NCAA with Baylor, Notre Dame, and Kansas State.
• Illinois has won multiple Top-25 games in the same season for the first time since 2014-15.
• Illinois has won three Top-25 games in the same season for the first time since 1999-2000.
• The Fighting Illini's seven-game Big Ten winning streak (as of Feb. 15, 2025), ties the program record.
• Needing just 25 games to reach a 20-win season, the 2024-25 Illini squad matched the program record for quickest to 20 victories.
• Illinois' four team turnovers in its 67-55 win over Penn State (2/13/25), set a new program single-game record.
• Illinois' seniors (Cook, Bryant, McKenzie, Shoup-Hill, Bostic) have a combined 462 career starts (436 at Illinois) and played a combined 604 games (476 at Illinois).
• Kendall Bostic's 1,335 career rebounds rank second of all active NCAA D1 players and is the active Big Ten-leading mark.
• On Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, Kendall Bostic grabbed the 1,218th rebound of her Illinois career and broke Jenna Smith's all-time Illinois record of 1,217 boards.
• Also on Jan. 27, 2025, Bostic moved into third place on the Big Ten's career rebounding list, surpassing Indiana's Denise Jackson (1981-84) at 1,273 rebounds.
• Kendall Bostic owns 50 double-doubles across her Illinois career, ranking second in school history behind Jenna Smith's 53.
• Illinois' free throws made per game mark of 15.68 ranks 16th in the NCAA.
• Illinois' 12.2 turnovers per game rank 14th in the NCAA.
• Illinois' free throw percentage of 80.3% ranks 3rd in the NCAA and leads the Big Ten.
• The Fighting Illini are fourth in the Big Ten with a 27.5% 3-point defensive rate, which ranks 36th in the NCAA.
• Eight different Illini scorers have posted double-digit points in a game this season: Bostic, Bryant, Brown-Hagger, Cook, Dolan, McKenzie, Shoup-Hill, Wallace.

ILLINI ON TV

Illinois will play its sixth game on national television when Illinois hosts Nebraska on Sunday, with first tip slated for 4 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. The contest will be the sixth of nine nationally televised games that the Illini are currently set to play during the 2024-25 regular season; each of the Illini's final four games of the regular season will be televised:
» Nov. 7, 7 p.m. CT, vs. Marquette - Big Ten Network
» Dec. 8, 3 p.m. CT, at Ohio State - Big Ten Network
» Dec. 31, 12 p.m. CT vs. Washington - Big Ten Network
» Jan. 23, 7 p.m. CT, at Northwestern - Big Ten Network
» Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m. CT, vs. Purdue - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 16, 4 p.m. CT, vs. Nebraska - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 20, 8:30 p.m. CT, at UCLA - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 23, 3 p.m. CT, at USC - Fox Sports 1
» March 2, 12:30 p.m. CT, vs. Michigan - Big Ten Network

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Nebraska enters the weekend with a 17-8 record and a 8-6 mark in conference play, the latter of which has the Cornhuskers tied for eighth place in the Big Ten standings. After starting the season 6-0 and climbing as high as No. 21 in the AP poll, Nebraska has had its ups and down against conference competition. The Huskers have secured ranked wins against No. 20 Michigan State and No. 17 Maryland this season.

Defeating the ranked Terrapins in its most recent contest, Nebraska has lost three of its last four and four of its last six while holding a 4-5 record away from home during the 2024-25 campaign. The Huskers have won four of their last five road games, with those victories coming against Rutgers (Jan. 12), Iowa (Jan. 16), Purdue (Jan. 30), and No. 17 Maryland (Feb. 13).

ALL-TIME SERIES INFORMATION

Nebraska holds a 20-7 edge in the all-time series and has won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the sides. The programs split their two meetings last season, with the home team winning each contest. The Cornhuskers prevailed on their home court, 56-48, on Jan. 11, while the Illini registered a dramatic 74-73 victory at State Farm Center on March 3.

The Orange and Blue are 3-9 when playing the Huskers in Champaign and are looking for back-to-back home wins over Nebraska for the first time in program history.

LAST TIME OUT

Illinois used a big fourth quarter to take down Penn State, 67-55, at State Farm Center on Thursday night.

Now 20-5 overall and 10-4 in Big Ten play this season, the Fighting Illini outscored the Nittany Lions in the final frame, 24-7, en route to their seventh win in a row. Seven-straight Big Ten wins matches the program record. Illinois committed just four team turnovers, a new single-game program record.

Playing all 40 minutes, Adalia McKenzie recorded a team-high 19 points after posting 11 points in the second half. McKenzie ultimately ended the evening with eight rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Genesis Bryant finished in double figures for the seventh game in a row, logging 18 points while going 4-for-9 from 3-point range. She also amassed six assists, three rebounds, and two steals.

Jasmine Brown-Hagger added 10 points, going 2-for-2 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free throw line in the second half. She also grabbed a steal.

Kendall Bostic accumulated 12 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, an assist, and a steal while playing all 40 minutes.

ILLINI CONTINUE TO BATTLE DESPITE INJURY BUG

Through the team's first 25 games of the season, Illinois has yet to have its full 14-player roster available. Holding an 20-5 record despite those setbacks, the Illini have remained resilient while battling injury issues throughout the campaign.

Eight different players have missed at least one game due to injury or illness this season, including sophomore transfer center Lety Vasconcelos, who was expected to be a key piece in the rotation before suffering a season-ending ACL tear over the summer. On Jan. 8, the program announced that fifth-year Makira Cook (ongoing health condition) and sophomore Gretchen Dolan (knee) would both miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Illinois is now 9-1 since announcing Cook and Dolan would miss the remainder of the season.

Five-star freshman guard Berry Wallace (hand) missed seven of the first eight games, while junior forward Shay Bollin, who played in 29 games for the Illini last season, has yet to make an appearance during the 2024-25 campaign. Freshman Irene Noya Catoira sat out the first seven games of the year while recovering from injury, while guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger, who has since moved into the starting lineup, missed three games while working her way back from a concussion. The latest Illini to miss a game was freshman Hayven Smith at Northwestern.

BIG TEN ROAD WINS

Illinois has won 13 road Big Ten games under Shauna Green, tied for the second-most in program history among Illinois women's basketball head coaches. In 2024-25, Illinois has brought home victories against Indiana, Northwestern, Rutgers, No. 14 Maryland, and Wisconsin.

BOSTIC MOVES ATOP PROGRAM'S CAREER REBOUNDING LIST

Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic became the Fighting Illini's career rebounding leader during Illinois' game against Purdue on Jan. 27. After tying the previous mark in the first half, Bostic secured her record-breaking board in the third quarter, which saw her climb to 11 rebounds on the night and 1,218 rebounds across her time with the Orange and Blue.

Bostic surpassed Jenna Smith on the program's all-time rebounding list. Smith, who played at Illinois from 2006-10, posted 1,217 rebounds across her career; Bostic entered Illinois' game against Purdue needing 10 rebounds to tie the record and 11 rebounds to pass it.

Bostic is the fourth player in program history to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds while playing for the Illini.

The Kokomo, Indiana, native sits in third place on the Big Ten's career rebounding rankings, only behind Iowa's Megan Gustafson (1,460) and Ohio State's Jantel Lavender (1,422). Bostic sits at 1,335 career rebounds across her four seasons at Illinois and one season at Michigan State.

GREEN CONTINUES TO CLIMB PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME WIN LIST

Third-year head coach Shauna Green continues to move up the program's all-time wins list. After the Fighting Illini defeated Wisconsin away from home on Feb. 9, Green posted her 61st win at the helm of the program, tied for the fifth-most victories by an Illinois women's basketball head coach.

SHARP SHOOTING FROM BEYOND THE ARC

Fighting Illini fifth year Genesis Bryant has been instrumental for the Orange and Blue from beyond the 3-point line. Through 90 games at Illinois, Bryant has connected on 187 3-pointers, which currently ranks fourth on UI's career list.

Bryant connected on 72 3-pointers in 2022-23, her first year at Illinois (178 att., 40.4%). As a senior in 2023-24, she tallied 65 makes from deep (188 att., 34.6%). This year, Bryant has made 50 3-pointers on 129 attempts for a 38.8% clip.

RANKED WINS UNDER COACH GREEN

For the first time since the 2014-15 campaign, the Fighting Illini have secured multiple ranked wins in a season. The Orange and Blue defeated No. 19 Florida State, 83-74, at State Farm Center on Nov. 7 to open the 2024-25 regular season before securing a 62-57 home win over No. 23 Iowa on Jan. 9. Illinois' most recent ranked victory came in a 66-65 road win over No. 14 Maryland on Feb. 2.

The program has now won five ranked games under third-year head coach Shauna Green, who guided the Illini to ranked wins over No. 12 Iowa (Jan. 1, 2023) during the 2022-23 slate and No. 14 Indiana (Feb. 19, 2024) during the team's 2023-24 schedule.