Forward Erica Finney announced her commitment to Illinois on Thursday, Oct. 10, via a post on Instagram. The forward out of Australia is Illinois’ second 2025 addition, joining five-star point guard Destiny Jackson.
The 6-foot-1 forward averaged 8 points, 2.4 rebounds and shot 35.9% from three at the FIBA 2024 U17 World Cup. California and Davidson were among the other top options for Finney, but head coach Shauna Green built a relationship with her to ultimately land the commitment.
“We have been there from the beginning, and you’ve got to trust those relationships,” Green told 247Sports. “You’ve got to trust the work. If it’s meant to be and they really are true to what they want, then hopefully we can get a couple of ’em.”
Finney is a threat from beyond the arc and will add another shooting option at the wing. The Illini will lose five seniors at season’s end, including forward Kendall Bostic, who led the team in field goal percentage last season.
Finney will join Illini next season, helping provide depth at the forward position for 2025 and beyond. With the program losing so many seniors in the spring, Green recruited solid high school talent both domestically and internationally to help continue building the program up.
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