Illinois women’s basketball has played and won two games. The team opened the season with an impressive win over No. 19 Florida State. On Sunday, they improved to 2-0 with a scrappy win over Marquette. Some players shined, but some got off to a sluggish start.
Kendall Bostic (B+): Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic came off a strong performance in the WBIT tournament. Expectations are high for her and the other returning fifth years. Against Florida State, Bostic was a huge part of Illinois’ win. She tallied 18 points and shot 8-10 from the floor. She also grabbed nine rebounds and secured her 1,000th career rebound.
However, against Marquette, Bostic was quieter. She only scored five points and missed multiple shots in the paint. But her 10 rebounds led the team and helped them stay alive despite a messy offensive performance. A veteran like Bostic has earned the benefit of the doubt, and one bad performance is nothing to worry about.
Brynn Shoup-Hill (B-): Senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill hasn’t been very active on the offensive end. Thankfully, that’s not what head coach Shauna Green asks of her. Shoup-Hill is a good rebounder and defender, and she’s done well in both aspects this season.
Her 10 rebounds against Florida State led the team. She added six boards against Marquette. Overall, she is physical on defense and helps out when needed. If she can add some points to her defensive efforts, she’s sure to have a strong year.
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Makira Cook (B): Another one of the “big three” that came back for an extra year is fifth-year guard Makira Cook. She has been good offensively this season and scored a team-leading 20 points against Florida State. Despite only shooting 6-20 from the floor, Cook got to the free throw line 10 times and sank seven.
However, Cook struggled against Marquette and only shot 1-10 from the floor. On the bright side, she was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. She has been off from beyond the arc this season and has only made one of her seven attempts. After being a top three-point shooter on the team last year, a slow start is slightly concerning.
Genesis Bryant (B-): Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant is off to a slow scoring start this season. Against Florida State, Bryant had only eight points, and six of them came from free throws. Against Marquette, she started slow and only scored one point in the first half. But she picked it up to score 15 in the second half, looking more like the Bryant from last season.
However, regarding efficiency, she has only shot 4-12 from the floor. More than half of her points have come from the free-throw line. Her second half against Marquette is a good sign of improvement. Similar to Bostic and Cook, as a veteran, she has earned the benefit of the doubt. It’s more than likely that she will improve as the season progresses.
Adalia McKenzie (A): One player who has been regarded as the X factor of this team by just about everyone is senior guard Adalia McKenzie. There is a clear reason for that. When she is playing her best, she can completely change the outcome of a game. McKenzie has been on her A game to start this season.
She scored a team-high 20 points against Florida State and finished 8-11 from the floor. Twelve of her 20 came in the second half, which was big for the Illini as they fought off a Seminoles comeback. McKenzie’s aggression on offense and defense inspired the rest of the team to play harder.
“She brings such big energy, even in practice every day,” Bryant said after Sunday’s win. “I feel like we just feed off the energy that she gives us. She’s really key in our wins.”
Gretchen Dolan (A): Sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan showed some promise last season. This year, she has come out swinging, or shooting, more accurately. Dolan scored 11 and nine points against Florida State and Marquette, respectively. She has been the first off the bench for Green this season. Despite being a sixth-woman, she’s playing starting minutes. She played on the court for 24 minutes in each game.
“She’s just a great, great scorer in multiple ways,” Green said after the win against Florida State.
One worry after the exhibition game against Lewis was turnovers. Dolan turned the ball over five times in this win. In the first two games this season, she only has one turnover. Her confidence is much higher than last season, and it’s evident when she has the ball.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger (C): Another sophomore guard, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, has gotten some early playing time. She’s played 25 minutes in two games and scored only seven points. The former four-star prospect transferred from Mississippi State in the offseason. She struggled a bit with fouls on Sunday and picked up three personal fouls.
Coming into a new program can be tough, and a slow start is hardly surprising. But she has played solid defense off the bench. Ideally, the offense improves, but Brown-Hagger is ready to help however she can.
“My goal is always to just bring some energy, especially on defense,” Brown-Hagger said. “Just kind of taking that role and being what the team needs in the moment.”
Berry Wallace (C): Freshman forward Berry Wallace came into the season with a lot of hype. She was a five-star prospect, ranked 22nd by ESPN HoopGurlz. Wallace only managed three minutes in the first game. She didn’t tally any stats and looked winded after short runs.
During warmups before the Marquette game, Wallace was not dressed to play and had a cast on her right wrist. When asked about her situation, Green said she’d be out for a little bit.
“Don’t know an exact timeline right now, but it’s unfortunate,” Green said. “I just feel for her. This was going to be a game that I was really excited to get her out there and get her a lot of minutes.”
Losing Wallace is a big blow to the Illini’s frontcourt. Green will have to get creative with lineups, especially the bench unit, going forward.
Cori Allen (C): Sophomore guard Cori Allen hasn’t gotten much run this season. She played one minute against Florida State and nine against Marquette. She has yet to score, but she did grab two rebounds against Marquette.
With Wallace being out now, Allen will likely get more minutes off the bench. She played in a new position on Sunday, something she has hardly practiced. Green thought she looked good.
“Cori has not played the four, and the last two days, she’s had to learn everything,” Green said. “She gave us really good minutes.”
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