Illinois (17-8, 7-7) vs. Rutgers (9-16, 1-13)

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 - 6 pm CT

State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill.

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 236-118 (.670), 12th season
Division I Record: 207-93 (.695), 10th season
At Illinois: 80-43 (.661), Fourth season
Big Ten Record: 37-31 (.556), Fourth season

THE NEXT WIN WOULD...

• Move the Illini to 7-9 all-time vs. Rutgers
• Improve Green to 6-0 overall vs. Rutgers
• Move Illinois to 4-4 vs. Rutgers in Champaign
• Move Illinois to 51-14 in home games under Green
• Move Green's career record to 237-118 in 12 seasons
• Improve Green to 38-31 in Big Ten games
• Move Green's DI record to 208-93 in 10 seasons
• Move Green's Illinois record to 81-43
• Give Illinois WBB an all-time record of 727-783
• Move UI to 15-3 vs. unranked teams this season

OPENING TIP

The 52nd campaign of Illinois women's basketball continues on Tuesday, Feb. 17, when Illinois hosts Rutgers at 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Mike Koon (PxP) and Kendall Bostic (analyst) 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
• Back-to-back seasons with multiple ranked wins for first time since 1999-01.
• Illinois has been ranked by the AP during all 4 seasons under Green
• Achieved the third sell out of State Farm Center in program history and first under Shauna Green on Feb. 8, 2026 with all 15,544 seats sold for the game vs. USC.
• 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)

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-15, 1-13) head to Champaign with one conference victory — a 76-72 triumph at Penn State on Jan. 18. This also accounts for Rutgers' lone road win.

The Scarlet Knights are led in scoring by Nene Ndiaye, a forward averaging 14.7 points per game. 6-foot-3 Imani Lester leads the rebounding effort with 5.6 boards per game.

Head Coach Coquese Washington is in her fourth season at the helm of the Rutgers program. The Knights have a record of 41-80 under her leadership. Washington previously led Penn State for 12 seasons, leading the Lions to two NCAA Sweet Sixteens.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFO

Illinois and Rutgers have a history dating back to February 2015 in the Scarlet Knights' first year in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers leads the all-time series 9-6 with a 4-3 record in Champaign. Yet, the Illini have won the last five meetings, with Shauna Green's squads being responsible for all five victories.

BLOWING BY THE BADGERS

Illinois used highly-efficient shooting to cruise past Wisconsin 90-62 in Wednesday's matchup in State Farm Center. The Illini shot a remarkable 64.7% from three, led by Aaliyah Guyton, whose 6-for-6 shooting from deep led to a career-high 22 points. Guyton's 100% 3-point percentage is the best (min. 6 makes) in program history.

Six Illini scored in double-digits, all making at least one three. Freshman Cearah Parchment recorded her ninth double-double of the year, turning in 12 points and a career high 15 rebounds. Parchment reached double-double status in the second quarter with 7:29 remaining on the clock. Meanwhile, Maddie Webber scored 15 points on an efficient 7-9 night from the field.

Wednesday night's victory gave Illinois the all-time series lead between the programs, 43-42. The triumph was Shauna Green's 50th home victory at Illinois.

THIRD SELLOUT IN PROGRAM HISTORY

The Sunday, Feb. 8 game vs. USC marked the third sellout in the history of Illinois Women's Basketball and the first instance under Shauna Green. The sellout was the first since the 1998-99 campaign.

The attendance of 15,544 became the first Big Ten game of the 2025-26 season to surpass 15,000 fans. It also made Illinois the fourth team in NCAA women's basketball to have multiple games with 14,000+ in attendance this season.

The previous two sellouts of State Farm Center for Illinois women's basketball games occurred under Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz. Most recently, on Feb. 21, 1999, an attendance of 16,450 saw the Illini take down the Iowa Hawkeyes. Two seasons prior, on Feb. 23, 1997, 16,050 fans attended an Illinois vs. Purdue showdown.

Green has now drawn the three largest crowds in State Farm Center at its current 15,544 capacity (2/8/26: 15,544; 11/18/25: 14,361; and 11/18/24: 13,486) and owns three of the top-five single-season attendances in program history.

Illinois women's basketball has now achieved back-to-back seasons surpassing total attendances of 80,000 for the second time in program history and first time since the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons. The 2025-26 squad achieved the feat with three home games remaining.