Illini Inquirer looks at potential roles for the current women’s basketball roster.
CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois women’s basketball team is experiencing a major shift in personnel during Shauna Green’s tenure.
With a senior class that played a crucial role in shaping Green’s time at the helm now out of eligibility, the upcoming season will be primarily driven by new players or a few returning ones stepping into more significant roles. This transition is new territory for Green, who heavily depended on a group that included Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, Adalia McKenzie, Makira Cook, and Brynn Shoup-Hill over her first three years.
Illinois retains Berry Wallace, Gretchen Dolan, and Jasmine Brown-Hagger, who have proven to be essential to the rotation when healthy. The post duo of Lety Vasconcelos and Hayven Smith also returns, although neither has much Division I experience. Transfer guards Aaliyah Guyton and Maddie Webber are expected to step into the rotation right away, and the team has brought in a freshman class ranked among the top 10 nationally.
While the talent is promising, Green and her coaching staff need to find a way to integrate all these pieces effectively.
“There will definitely be some anxiety and stress about losing over 70% of our scoring, but as coaches, it will also be exciting because everything is so fresh,” Green shared with Illini Inquirer last month. “We have a chance to mold the team, and if there’s ever a time for change, it’s now. We can adjust our offensive and defensive strategies. This offseason, I’ve challenged our staff and myself to explore what fits best with our new personnel. We’re considering playing a bit more freely and even going smaller with Cearah (Parchment) at the four or five positions. We’re exploring various strategies and also looking at WNBA practices to inspire our approach, which has opened up a lot of ideas.”
Illini Inquirer has examined potential roles and fits for the 2025-26 roster. It’s important to clarify that this isn’t an attempt to predict minute distribution or starting lineup, but rather a broad overview of possible roles for the upcoming season. This analysis is likely to evolve as players join the team and the staff determines what combinations work best in different lineups.
Leave a Reply