The 2026-27 season is almost here, and Illinois women’s basketball has plenty of reasons to believe it can make another run at March. The Illini bring back more than 90% of last year’s roster, including Berry Wallace and Destiny Jackson, after a 2025-26 campaign that ended with a 22-12 record and a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament.
That kind of continuity matters, especially in a Big Ten slate that will test Illinois from start to finish. The Illini finished ninth in the conference last season at 9-9, but they also showed they can punch above that spot with wins over No.
7 Maryland on January 1 and No. 25 Washington on February 1.
With the schedule now set and Illinois showing up in the way-too-early top 25 rankings, a few rematches jump off the page.
One of the biggest is the trip to Columbus to face Ohio State and Jaloni Cambridge. Cambridge torched Illinois for 41 points in the Buckeyes’ win on January 7 last season, and she’s coming off a year in which she averaged 23.2 points per game.
She can score from all three levels and has the kind of game that can take over a night by herself. Illinois will have to make her the focus, especially with Ohio State’s second-leading scorer, Chance Gray, out of eligibility.
Shauna Green’s group has the pieces to defend her better this time, but Cambridge is still the center of everything the Buckeyes do.
UCLA is another matchup worth circling, even if the Bruins look different now than they did a year ago. They won the women’s NCAA championship last season behind Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, but six of their top scorers are gone.
Cori Close went to work in the portal and added five transfers, including former Notre Dame guard K.K. Bransford and former Iowa State forward Addy Brown.
That’s a major reload, not a soft reset, and it means Illinois will still be dealing with a program that carries championship pedigree. The Illini are older, more experienced, and still largely intact, so that meeting in Los Angeles has the ingredients for a real test.
Back at the State Farm Center, Michigan offers a chance at payback. The Wolverines were a force last season, finishing the regular season No. 7 in the AP Poll with a 28-7 record before falling 77-41 to Texas in the Elite Eight.
Illinois had a rough night against Michigan in Ann Arbor, losing 85-69, and Wallace and Jasmine Brown-Hagger were the only Illini to reach double figures, combining for 42 points. That kind of scoring imbalance won’t do this time around.
Illinois has too many options now, and with Cearah Parchment and Jackson combining for just nine points in that loss, the offense should look very different in January. Divine Bourrage should also give the Illini an extra jolt.
In Other News...
Illinois Win Eases One Concern But Raises Another For Fans
Illinois left the Southern Illinois game with a lopsided win and at least one source of relief for its fans: the offense looked organized enough to put up 48 points and keep the game from ever getting uncomfortable. Katin Houser handled the passing game well, and the offensive line drew notice for doing its part in helping the attack settle in and build rhythm.
Still, the scoreboard did not tell the whole story. Even with Southern Illinois held to 10 points, there were defensive lapses that stood out on film, the kind of issues that can linger once the competition gets tougher. For Illinois, the opener offered a useful reminder that a convincing result can hide as much as it reveals. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Looks Built To Make A Real Big Ten Statement
Illinois is already drawing major preseason attention for 2026-27, and the buzz starts with EvanMiyas analytics, which slot the Illini at No. 3 nationally while grading the offense as the best in the country. Even with some key defensive pieces gone, the projection still sees Illinois as a team built to overwhelm opponents with size and talent, the kind of roster profile that can travel in Big Ten play and hold up against the nations best.
The bigger picture is what makes the ranking stand out. Illinois is being discussed in the same breath as heavyweights like Florida and Duke, and the Big Ten is once again expected to have several teams in the national mix. For Illinois, the challenge is less about earning respect in the preseason and more about turning that on-paper edge into the sort of consistency that can separate a contender from a team merely living up to expectations. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Got The Reset It Needed Before A Much Bigger Test
Illinois used its date with Southern Illinois the way a good team should use a lighter opponent: as a chance to clean up the stuff that has a way of surfacing later against better competition. The Illini won 48-10, tackled more consistently and got a smoother day from the offense, with quarterback Katin Houser completing 80 percent of his passes for 305 yards.
Still, it was not a spotless afternoon, and that may matter more in the long run than the final margin. Housers third-quarter interception and the offensive line injuries that hit during the game added a reminder that the next stretch will ask for more than a comfortable win over an overmatched opponent, especially with a much bigger test ahead. [Read more 🡒]