Illinois (19-8, 9-7) announced Wednesday morning that redshirt sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan will be out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. This announcement comes a day before the Illini are set to travel to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes (22-5, 13-3).
Dolan injured her right knee at the beginning of January, and her absence was a challenge for Illinois. Weeks before injuring her knee, the NCAA approved her medical hardship waiver, changing her from a junior to a redshirt sophomore. It is unclear if Dolan and the Illini will try to get her another medical redshirt this year.
It was also announced on Wednesday that Dolan tore the meniscus in her right knee and underwent surgery on Monday.
The Illini struggled with her absence, dropping several ranked and unranked games. While Dolan made a very short return during Illinois’ win over Washington (19-9, 9-8) on Feb. 1, she has been out of practice and uniform since.
The Illini’s postseason journey will no doubt be harder and more challenging without Dolan. Before Dolan’s injury, she was averaging 13.6 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, and playing around 30 minutes per game. On top of that, Dolan provided much-needed defensive support for Illinois. She was also one of the few returning players who guided Illinois’ young team this year. Dolan was a crucial player on the court but has remained a vocal presence on the bench.
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With two ranked conference games to go before the Big Ten tournament starts next week, the Illini need to continue working without Dolan as the stakes get higher. Sophomore guard Aaliyah Guyton has since been the fifth starter for the Illini. Junior guards Jasmine Brown-Hagger and Maddie Webber need to keep stepping up with Guyton and fill the gaps without Dolan going into the postseason.
After going to Iowa on Thursday, Illinois will be back at State Farm Center on Sunday to take on No. 22 Minnesota (21-7, 12-5). After that, it’s straight to Indianapolis for the Big Ten tournament before the NCAA tournament begins later in March.
@lauram0131
