Illinois Women's Basketball Offers Dynamic Freshman Daughter of Former Illini

Class of 2029 guard Liv Johnson, whose father and uncle played for Illinois men's basketball, received a scholarship offer from the Illini last week

Feb 25, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green watches her team play the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Liv Johnson has yet to set foot in a high school classroom, yet she is already one of the most coveted college basketball recruits in the state of Illinois.

She comes by it honestly. Johnson is the daughter of Lucas Johnson, a former Illinois forward (1998-2002) and Agatha Johnson, who hooped at DePaul from 1998-2001. (And don't forget her uncle Brian, Lucas' older brother, who played at Illinois from 1994-98.) So despite the fact that Liv won't graduate for another four years, Illinois was arguably late to the party in offering her a scholarship earlier this week, as Johnson announced on her X account.

Incredibly blessed to have been offered by @IlliniWBB ! All Glory to God! pic.twitter.com/5pNymJkBHF

— Liv Johnson (@LivJohnson2029) July 23, 2025

Johnson, who will attend Carmel Catholic (Mundelein, Illinois) in the fall, is a 6-foot-1 combo guard with handles, a versatile floor game and a hard-nosed defensive mentality (thanks, Dad!). Before the Illini stepped forward, she had already received offers from DePaul (Mom's alma mater), Iowa (where Johnson plays her AAU ball for the All Iowa Attack), Big Ten rivals Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin, as well as Oklahoma. Dozens more figure to get in line over the next several years.

Credible scouting reports can be tough to track down for pre-high-school-age girls players, but one write-up Johnson re-posted on her X account – from Prep Girls Hoops Illinois – shed light on her promising future: "As of now, Johnson holds the title as one of the top players in this class. From a skill set standpoint, there are not many who can compete. She has the length, the body control and the confidence to match."

Thank you @PGHIllinois for the kind words. A lot of work ahead! https://t.co/gCyrgZgHEC pic.twitter.com/i9IZ0pBTnW

— Liv Johnson (@LivJohnson2029) May 20, 2025

It's far too early to know which way Johnson is leaning, and she'll likely be pulled in a number of directions by family ties and her own preferences in the years ahead. But given coach Shauna Green's recent run on the court and on the recruiting scene, the Illini absolutely cannot be counted out. As Johnson's father posted on his Facebook timeline in response to the news of her Illinois offer: "This one hits different."

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