Red-hot No. 25 Illinois (21-5, 11-4) will head to the City of Angels to face off against No. 3 UCLA (24-1, 12-1), one of the toughest opponents Illinois will face this season. The Bruins were the consensus No. 1 team for over two months.
An uphill battle doesn’t even begin to describe this game. After losing sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger in the game against Nebraska (17-9, 8-7), Illinois is essentially down to just six players. This means yet another change to the rotation for the Illini.
Who goes where?
With Brown-Hagger out, Illinois is down another guard and has limited replacement options. The Illini will likely look to freshman forward Berry Wallace and sophomore guard Cori Allen to step up.
“It’s what our mindset’s been,” said head coach Shauna Green on the injury issues. “Like, OK, someone’s going to have to step up.”
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Wallace is likely the candidate to start and has been outstanding off the bench lately. She takes confident shots from beyond the arc, no matter how tight the defense is. Wallace has been driving to the rim more and finding success away from the three-point line.
A concern with Wallace is her lack of starting experience. As a freshman, she is in a good rhythm coming off the bench. Putting her in the starting lineup could create added pressure and throw her off.
Brown-Hagger was in a similar situation earlier in the season. It took a few games for her to find her footing as a starter, but Wallace could potentially have a quicker adjustment.
Allen is also expected to see more playing time. She has spent most of the season coming off the bench to give someone a breather or to add some hustle to the court and will likely maintain that role with increased minutes.
While she hasn’t done much this season, her play is praised for its effect on the game rather than what the stat sheet says. Allen often does the gritty work, fighting for rebounds or playing physical defense.
“Even with her good games, it’s not so much on the stat sheet or even scoring,” said fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant about Allen. “It’s the productivity that she gives us, the hustle plays, the rebounds and things of that nature.”
Another big component for Allen is confidence. Ensuring she is confident going into a matchup is big for the team.
“When she practices well, she plays well,” Green said. “This week of practice is going to be really big for her, so she has a lot of confidence going into that game on Thursday.”
A giant task ahead
UCLA boasts one of the best overall records in the nation. It has seven top-25 victories, including taking down No. 1 South Carolina (23-3, 11-1) earlier in the season. The Bruins also have one of the best players in the country, junior center Lauren Betts.
Green described her as a generational player, comparing her level of play to former Iowa guard Caitlin Clark. Betts averages 19.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She also makes 62% of her shots from the floor.
Betts’s 6-foot-7 frame makes it nearly impossible to stop her. Once she gets the ball in the paint, it’s a matter of when she scores, not if. Guarding her one-on-one isn’t doable. The Illini will need help from senior guard Adalia McKenzie, senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill and fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic to guard her.
Injury woes aplenty
The Illini aren’t the only team facing injury problems. Betts sat out of UCLA’s last game due to a right foot injury and was seen wearing a boot. While there hasn’t been any official word on whether she’ll play, a win against a Betts-less UCLA is much more achievable.
Of course, the rest of the Bruins roster is no less daunting. Five other players average at least eight points per game. They still beat the No. 22 Michigan State Spartans (19-6, 9-5) without Betts. Three Bruins scored 16 or more points in the victory.
“You take her off, they still have like four All-Americans on the bench,” Green said. “They just keep coming at you.”
The Illini will prepare for Betts to play but won’t underestimate the rest of the Bruins roster if she doesn’t.
“It’s a big opportunity,” Bryant said. “Going out there and playing our hearts out. We have nothing to lose.”
Back in the poll
Monday’s AP Top 25 poll was favorable to the Illini, who got back in at No. 25. Amid their eight-game win streak, they jumped up to 11-4 in the conference. Being ranked for the first time since Dec. 2, 2024, is an important step for Illinois.
“It means a lot,” Green said. “These kids have earned it.”
@ben_some16
