Illinois women’s basketball released its Big Ten conference schedule on Thursday. It features one matchup with each Big Ten team, with the exception of Northwestern, which Illinois will play twice. The Wildcats will travel to Champaign on Jan. 18, and the Illini will visit Evanston on Feb. 22. 

The Big Ten will be a tough conference to compete in this season. Twelve teams, including Illinois, reached the NCAA tournament last season, with UCLA and USC playing in the final weekend of the Big Ten tournament. Out of Illinois’ 18-game conference slate, here are the matchups to watch out for. 

Jan. 1: Illinois vs. Maryland

During Illinois’ eight-game winning streak in early February last season, defeating Maryland on the road was a confidence-boosting win. The win in College Park was the Illini’s third over a top-25 team at that point in the season last year. The rematch between these two teams will be one to watch as the 2025-26 season approaches. Both squads come into the year with younger rosters and big-name freshmen.

Illinois freshman guard Destiny Jackson was a huge pickup for head coach Shauna Green’s 2025 recruitment class. Jackson was the 2025 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year and 2025 Illinois Ms. Basketball. Her talent will be used immediately by Green after guards Genesis Bryant and Adalia McKenzie graduated last season. For Maryland, freshman guard Addi Mack is sure to tally up plenty of points. Mack is No. 2 on the state of Minnesota’s all-time scoring list with 4,687 career points. The battle between these two freshmen will be an exciting one come January. 

Feb. 26: Illinois vs. Iowa

Sophomore transfer Aaliyah Guyton will play her first game back at Iowa near the end of conference play. Guyton appeared in 29 games and averaged 4.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game as a true freshman for the Hawkeyes. Acquiring Guyton was a huge pickup for the Illini this offseason. Her three-point shooting abilities and experience playing in the Big Ten will be crucial to the success of this young roster. Illinois also defeated Iowa last season when the teams matched up, so it will be interesting to see if the new look Illinois roster can get another win. 

Jan. 24: Illinois vs. Nebraska

Going into the Big Ten tournament last season, the Illini were ready to make a deep run for a chance at the tournament championship. However, those hopes were cut short in just their very first game against higher-seeded Nebraska. It was a close matchup between the two teams, with Illinois only losing by four points, but it was still a disappointing loss nonetheless.

The 2025-26 rematch will be an anticipated one for Illinois fans. The Huskers will be a tough team to face yet again this season, though. Sophomore guard Britt Prince was Nebraska’s leading scorer in the Big Ten tournament game against Illinois last season with 17 points and is back again this season. The Illini guards will have a tough task of containing Prince on the perimeter. 

Jan. 28: Illinois vs. UCLA 

In terms of the age of its respective rosters, Illinois and UCLA are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Bruins roster consists of eight seniors and graduate students with many years of experience under their belts. While the Illini may not have the experience and team chemistry yet, this midseason matchup will be a great test for the young team.

UCLA’s senior guards Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez will put the pressure on the Illinois guards to keep up defensively against their strong perimeter play. Slowing down 2025 National Player of the Year candidate senior Lauren Betts will also be a difficult task. Illinois’ redshirt sophomore center Lety Vasconcelos and sophomore center Hayven Smith will more than likely both be matched up against her. This game is an opportunity for both young players to compete with one of the best players in the country and prove they can play alongside her. 

Here is the complete conference schedule: 

Dec. 6: Illinois vs. Indiana

Dec. 28: Illinois at Purdue 

Jan. 1: Illinois vs. Maryland

Jan. 4: Illinois at Michigan State

Jan. 7: Illinois vs. Ohio State

Jan. 11: Illinois at Penn State

Jan. 15: Illinois at Michigan 

Jan. 18: Illinois vs. Northwestern

Jan. 24: Illinois at Nebraska

Jan. 28: Illinois vs. UCLA

Feb. 1: Illinois at Washington

Feb. 4: Illinois at Oregon

Feb. 8: Illinois vs. USC

Feb. 11: Illinois vs. Wisconsin

Feb. 17: Illinois vs. Rutgers

Feb. 22: Illinois at Northwestern

Feb. 26: Illinois at Iowa

March 1: Illinois vs. Minnesota 

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