Illini women's hoops reach NCAA tournament for 3rd time in 4 seasons

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Illinois women's basketball is returning to the NCAA women's tournament once again this March. It's the first time the Illini women's team will appear in the tournament in consecutive seasons since their four-straight trips from 1997-2000.

The orange and blue will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, after earning the #7 seed in Region 1, and will take on #10 seed, Colorado, in the First Round. If Illinois wins their opening contest, they would meet with either 2nd seeded Vanderbilt or #15 High Point.

Illinois will tip-off against the Buffaloes at roughly 8:30pm on Saturday, March 21. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

The Illini currently boast a 21-11 overall record after a challenging Big Ten slate. During the regular season, Illinois clinched ranked wins over Maryland and Washington. In the Big Ten tournament, the team clinched 2 victories, topping Wisconsin and #18 Michigan State.

In 2025, Illinois earned the #8 seed and topped #9 seeded Creighton in the First Round, before taking on #1 seed Texas and falling in the Round of 32.

The team qualified for the First Four in coach Shauna Green's first season in 2023, where they lost a battle for the #11 seed to Mississippi State.