Last season, then-No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball hosted Illinois for its Senior Day.
Down by one with under two seconds remaining, Shyanne Sellers had a chance to win the game with a midrange jumper. But it didn’t fall, and The Terps were upset by the unranked Illini.
On Thursday, Maryland will look to avenge that loss in Champaign in what will be its first game of 2026. The New Year’s Day showdown will tip off at 4 p.m. and be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
“It will definitely be a different game,”
head coach Brenda Frese said. “You’re going on the road against a team that beat us at home last year. It’s going to definitely be a battle.”
Illinois Fighting Illini (12-1, 2-0 Big Ten)
2024-25 record: 22-10, 11-7 Big Ten
Head coach Shauna Green is in her fourth season with the Illini and has led them to two NCAA tournaments and a WBIT championship. Illinois is on track for its best season under Green — who has an overall 75-36 record with the program — this year.
Illinois suffered its only loss at Oregon State and is 9-0 at home in 2025-26. The Illini have dominated their two Big Ten opponents thus far, defeating both Indiana and Purdue by double digits.
“It’s continuing to do what we do best, but then also through scouting, trying to take away some of their strengths,” Frese said.
Players to watch
Berry Wallace, sophomore forward, 6-foot-1, No. 23 — Wallace was a top-20 recruit out of high school and has taken a major jump in her sophomore season. This season, she leads the Illini with 17.6 points per game — ninth-most in the Big Ten. She also averages 7.2 rebounds per game. As a freshman, she averaged nine points and 3.1 rebounds.
Cearah Parchment, freshman forward, 6-foot-3, No. 30 — Parchment has had a huge impact for the Illini in her freshman season, leading Illinois with 7.9 rebounds per game. The Canadian forward is the third-highest freshman scorer in the Big Ten, averaging 11.1 points per game — behind only USC’s Jazzy Davidson and Maryland’s Addi Mack.
Gretchen Dolan, redshirt sophomore guard, 5-foot-11, No. 4 — Dolan is one of Illinois’ primary guards in her third season with the program. Her 14.9 points per game is good for second on the squad, and she averages 3.2 assists. The former “Miss New York Basketball” played eight games last year before suffering a season-ending injury and receiving a medical redshirt.
Strength
Rebounding. The Illini are very strong on the boards, averaging 38.2 per game. Illinois averages nine more rebounds than its opponents, and it is led by Parchment and Wallace on the glass — each average seven or more rebounds per game.
Weakness
3-point shooting. The Illini don’t have many weaknesses, and their 3-point shooting isn’t really a weakness — they’ve just performed worse there than in other categories. Illinois shoots 33.2% from beyond the arc and makes 5.5 3-pointers per game. That being said, its opponents shoot 26.4% from deep and make 5.2 per game. Maddie Webber is Illinois’ top 3-point shooter this season, going 23-of-49 (46.9%) from deep.
Three things to watch
1. Rebounding margin. The Terps have a rebounding margin of 16.5, good for second-best in the nation. Maryland averages 45 rebounds per game, led by Saylor Poffenbarger, Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu and Oluchi Okananwa — each average more than five rebounds per game. The team that can forge an advantage on the glass Thursday could be positioned for victory.
2. Mack and Poffenbarger connection. Addi Mack and Poffenbarger have both been key contributors to Maryland’s 14-0 start to the season. Poffenbarger, a redshirt senior, leads the team in rebounding and has been one of their best all around players. The true freshman Mack has become Maryland’s primary guard, averaging 12.2 points per game. This unlikely duo has been extremely instrumental in Maryland’s first two Big Ten victories.
“Me and Addi are very similar. I see a lot of myself in her and we’ve bonded. She’s like kind of a little sister to me,” Poffenbarger said. “How hard she plays and how hard she works. It’s easy to kind of gravitate towards that.”
3. Looking to start 2026 right. The Terps ended 2025 with an undefeated record but enter 2026 with one of its toughest challenges yet. Maryland lost to Illinois last season and struggled in its lone road game this year. Thursday’s matchup will reveal how resilient the Terps are.
“There’s no easy games in the Big Ten,” Frese said. “Probably our toughest test to date, getting ready for Illinois…a really talented team.”
