Illinois Women's Basketball Takes First NCAA Tournament Win in 25 Years

The Illini extended an improbable season with a 66-57 win over Creighton in Saturday's first-round matchup

Feb 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green and Illinois Fighting Illini forward Brynn Shoup-Hill (23) during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

It had been a long time coming – a quarter of a century if you're counting at home – but on Saturday in Austin, Texas, the Illinois women's basketball team broke the icy hold of postseason mediocrity and knocked off Creighton 66-57 to win its first NCAA Tournament game in 25 years.

Not since March 17, 2000, when Theresa Grentz's sixth-seeded Illini bounced 11th-seeded Utah 73-58 in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament Ames, Iowa, had the program last advanced at the Big Dance.

The Illini had previously made only two appearances in the NCAAs since, in fact, and not in the 20 years before current coach Shauna Green led Illinois back to the tournament in 2023. With Green and the Illini winning last year's inaugural WBIT and then signing a top-10 recruiting class in the offseason, this latest milestone suggests the program can feel safe penciling in more tournament appearances – and likely more wins – in the future.

"Enjoy this," Green told her club after the game. "Illinois had not won a tournament game in 25 years. And it's only fitting that this group – this group – did it."

Did they ever. Guard Genesis Bryant played al 40 minutes and led the Illini with 17 points and four assists. Her backcourt running mate, Adalia McKenzie, had 14 points (on 7-for-12 shooting) and seven rebounds while sitting out just a single minute of the game. Forward Kendall Bostic – yet again – engaged Beast Mode, grabbing a season-high 17 rebounds and scoring 12 points to become Illinois' all-time leader in career double-doubles, with 54.

Good morning, Illini FamILLy!

Let's get things started with a bracket slap 👊 pic.twitter.com/8rUOT8wftP

— Illinois Women's Basketball (@IlliniWBB) March 23, 2025

But as much as anything else, Illinois (22-9) got it done against Creighton (26-7) with defense. The Illini held the sweet-shooting Bluejays to 36.1 percent shooting from the field and, critically, 6-for-22 (27.3 percent) on threes. Behind Bostic's efforts, they also dominated the glass, 42-32.

Illinois threatened to run away with the game in the first half, expanding its lead to 12 early in the second quarter on a McKenzie jumper. But Creighton chipped away and, with three seconds on the clock, got a three-pointer from Kiani Lockett to cut the Illini's edge to 31-26 going into halftime.

It was more of the same in the second half, when a Bostic layup early in the fourth quarter sent Illinois up 51-41. But again the Bluejays pushed back, gradually trimming the lead to four, first on a layup from Morgan Maly (18 points) and again, with 2:07 to play, on a layup from Lauren Jensen (17 points).

And then, in a finish that could not have felt more symbolic if it had been scripted, freshman forward Berry Wallace (11 points, five rebounds) snagged a missed Bryant free throw for a stick-back bucket. Bryant returned the favor by going 6-for-6 from the line down the stretch to help the Illini pull away for good.

It was the future of the program telling its present, "I got you," and the present replying, "I got you back."

The next step for the Illini is significantly steeper. Top-seeded and fifth-ranked Texas (32-3) awaits in Monday's second-round matchup (1 p.m. CT, on ESPN). Did we mention this chunk of the bracket is playing in Austin?

Look, you can't turn a program around in a single game. The Illini's first-round win, after all, was 25 years in the making. But this group has made magic all season. Maybe there's enough left for at least one more feat of wonder.

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