The inevitable one-two punch is what the Illini will try to block on Wednesday night when Paris meets Champaign. That is, when reigning AP National Player of the Year Courtney Paris and her twin sister, Ashley, come to town.

The Paris twins are the top two players on an Oklahoma Sooners team that ranks No. 9 in the nation this season.

“We are approaching this game just like we approach every other game,” head coach Jolette Law said. “It’s going to come down to team defense. No one person is going to stop Courtney Paris.”

Coming off a 69-57 victory against Illinois-Chicago on Sunday, the Illini stand at 6-2 and Wednesday’s game will be their first against a ranked team this season. Oklahoma’s only two losses came against a No. 1 Tennessee team and a No. 4 Maryland team.

Sophomore center Jenna Smith, who has already won Big Ten Player of the Week twice this season, will have the opportunity to guard Paris. This season, Courtney Paris has been dominant, averaging 17.2 points per game and an NCAA-leading 15.3 rebounds per game.

“I know from watching her in the past she loves to block,” Smith said. “I know she is ridiculously strong from what my teammates tell me but I know I need to get off the block.”

However, Smith will not be alone in trying to box out Paris. Law said she wants the rest of the team to help out as well.

“Tennessee played against her and they had a hard time containing her one-on-one,” Law said. “We are going to get a lot of help from different positions on the floor so we can just limit her touches. We are not going to stop her, we are just going to limit her touches.”

Smith hopes her teammates will work together so the entire burden is not placed on her.

“We’re trying to double up on the post more for Courtney,” Smith said. “We got to pressure the guards more to make it harder for them to throw it in to Courtney.”

Meanwhile, the Illini will also have their hands full with Ashley Paris, too, who has broken free from her sister’s shadow this season to average 15 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. But Smith said she thinks the team will be able to stop Ashley Paris.

“Ashley is so versatile compared to her sister,” Smith said. “I feel we can contain her more than we can contain Courtney. Courtney is more of a banger. Ashley will drive and stay outside. Courtney will stay inside and just bang.”

Come Wednesday, the Illini will hope to contain Courtney Paris, arguably the best player in women’s college basketball, to gain their best victory of the season to this point.