The Champaign News-Gazette recently reported that Illini freshman Destiny Williams was released from her scholarship and will transfer. The information was attributed to an e-mail from Williams’ mother.

In the e-mail, Williams’ mother reportedly said the freshman asked for her release from scholarship in August after returning from the U19 World Championships. She also said she promised Illinois head coach Jolette Law that she would not reveal why the release happened as long as it did.

But after the Minnesota game, Law said Williams did not ask for her release until December, and that there were “no conditions.”

The freshman, who was Illinois’ highest-rated recruit in program history, had an Illinois career that lasted less than 10 minutes in Illinois’ season-opener against Temple.

“I just wish her the very best. We’re moving forward,” Law said.

Attack leads Illini past Gophers

After losing a winnable game to Indiana, Law wanted her team to play to win against Minnesota. She wanted her team to attack the basket. And in a 64-62 victory on Sunday, attack is just what the Illinois women’s basketball team did.

As the final seconds ticked by with Minnesota leading 62-61, Law yelled “Attack!” to Adrienne GodBold. After a second’s hesitation, the freshman responded, putting the ball in the hoop while drawing a foul for a three-point play that won the game.

“If I say ‘Attack,’ this one’s going to attack,” Law said while looking at GodBold.

Illinois (11-4, 3-2) attacked the basket all game against Minnesota, and though the shots didn’t fall in the first half (Illinois shot 34.5 percent from the field) things quickly turned around in the second.

After Illinois carried a 34-25 deficit into halftime, the Big Ten opponents nearly switched field-goal percentages, with the Gophers shooting 36 percent and Illinois swishing 52.2 percent of their shots in the second half.

Minnesota head coach Pam Borton attributed the reversals in shooting not to Illinois’ defense, but in her own team’s defensive mistakes.

“I thought we bailed them out and put them to the line and didn’t make them finish shots … They got some penetration in the gaps, and we decided to foul instead of playing fundamental defense,” Borton said.

The Gophers (10-6, 3-2) could not contain Jenna Smith throughout the game – the senior racked up 26 points and 11 rebounds while going 11-for-12 from the charity stripe.

“(Law) wanted us to attack and told me to sit more in the post and be a little more aggressive,” Smith said. “She called me a bum if I wasn’t posting.”

Big Ten parity reflected in standings

Heading into Illinois’ game against Minnesota, all of the Big Ten teams (aside from 5-0 Ohio State) were neck-and-neck in the standings.

The Gophers were second to the Buckeyes, with a 3-1 conference record. Every other Big Ten team had at least two losses, and just Iowa had as many as four.

So after a road loss to Indiana, Law stressed the importance of a victory against Minnesota to her team before tipoff.

“You must win the ones at home, and when you’re on the road, you’ve got to make sure you bring your A-game on the road as well,” Law said.

The preseason talk about parity in the Big Ten appears to be legitimate, with four teams sitting at 3-2 in the conference after Sunday’s games.