The Illini (11-3, 1-2) were one game short of sweeping their second homestand of the season. Now, they take on their first conference team in an away game. Illinois is 1-1 away from Champaign, so anything goes in this matchup against Minnesota (14-1, 2-1).
All-time series
Minnesota and Illinois are long-standing members of the Big Ten conference, which has resulted in a long history. After 69 meetings, Illinois leads the series 41-28 and is 6-4 in the last 10 matchups.
The last time the Illini fell to the Golden Gophers was in February 2022, before head coach Shauna Green’s takeover. Under Green, Illinois has a three-game win streak against Minnesota and aims to extend it to four.
This season’s stats suggest that an Illinois victory won’t come easily. Minnesota is undefeated at home, and its only loss was against No. 25 Nebraska in early December. In both of Minnesota’s conference wins, it took a definitive first-quarter lead. It led Penn State 24-9 and Wisconsin 23-4 after 10 minutes.
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Conversely, when Illinois is on its back foot early, it has been costly. In its first conference loss to Ohio State, a slim 18-16 first-quarter edge led to Illinois’ second defeat of the season. Against Washington, a 21-21 draw after the opening 10 minutes also ended in a loss for Illinois.
This trend suggests that strong starts will be critical for the Illini to cement themselves in conference play. However, falling behind early on is not an immediate precursor for the final score, as the Illini have shown resilience and overcome early deficits in multiple games this season.
Last time out
An 84-75 loss to Washington broke Illinois’ perfect streak at home. That match highlighted some of the Illini’s struggles: getting out-shot beyond the arc by the Huskies and having key bench players plagued by injuries.
The lack of rest for the starters has given the Illini a particularly tough go of conference play. Starters such as fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant, fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic and senior guard Adalia McKenzie have all been pulling nearly a full 40 minutes. While all three have had solid outings, long stretches of intense play could lead to a longer injury list for Illinois.
The Golden Gophers also played a New Year’s Eve game. They took on their border rival, the Wisconsin Badgers, and toppled them 59-50. Minnesota out-rebounded Wisconsin and excelled at forcing turnovers. The Gophers scored five second-chance points and 12 points off of turnovers. The Illini must work hard to prevent the Golden Gophers from profiting off mistakes.
Player matchups
Bryant has been a force in her past two appearances. She has put up double-digit points in her last six games and has been nearly perfect at the free-throw line. She contributes a good portion of Illinois’ three-pointers. Bryant has also been efficient at converting in the paint and driving through tough defenses.
The Golden Gophers’ junior guard Amaya Battle may give Bryant a tough time. She stands five inches taller and has a similar field goal percentage of 38%. Battle has a better three-point conversion rate as well, but with fewer attempts.
Two Minnesota players led in rebounds against Wisconsin. Senior center Sophie Hart, who stands at 6-foot-5, and 6-foot-1 junior forward Mallory Heyer both grabbed eight boards. The Illini must utilize Bostic and senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill to lock down Minnesota’s bigs. All four of these players can shoot, rebound and make plays, setting up tough challenges all over the floor.
Where to watch
Minnesota hosts Illinois at Williams Arena at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
