The rise of Illinois women’s basketball has come with a star who keeps showing up when the moment gets tight.
Berry Wallace, one of Shauna Green’s biggest early recruiting wins, is now entering her third season in Champaign, and the payoff is starting to look obvious. Wallace was the highest-rated recruit the program had ever brought in, and after a breakout 2025-26 season, she’s stepping into a bigger role with real momentum behind her.
Last season, the numbers told the story of a player who did plenty of damage in the flow of the game: 18.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 34.7% shooting from three-point range. But the most striking part of her season came when the pressure spiked.
According to Peter Newmann of CBB Analytics, only six players in the country shot at least 60% from the field and 90% from the free throw line in clutch time last season, with clutch time defined as the final five minutes and a five-point margin or less. Wallace was one of them.
Ice water in their veins. 🧊
Only 6 players in the country shot at least 60% from the field and 90% from the line in clutch time this season. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/l6Bxo5V0R7
- Peter Newmann (@petenewmann) August 2, 2026
Wallace’s clutch work was even sharper than that broader standard suggests. In those late-game situations, she shot 86% from the field and 91.7% from the line. When Illinois needed a bucket or a clean trip to the stripe, she delivered.
That kind of production gives Illinois a centerpiece heading into 2026-27, and she’ll have plenty around her. Destiny Jackson, Gretchen Dolan, Aaliyah Guyton, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Cearah Parchment, and Maddie Webber are all back, giving the Illini a roster with real depth and continuity.
It’s the same group that earned a No. 7 seed and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament last season, with a five-star transfer portal addition now in the mix as well.
Illinois still doesn’t carry the kind of national brand that turns heads on its own. But this team has enough talent to change that fast. Wallace looks like the kind of player who can lead the charge, and there’s a real case that she could be the best player in Champaign, the Big Ten, and one of the best in the country this season.
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