Fighting Illini women’s basketball head coach Shauna Green announced on Apr. 9 that Divine Bourrage, a sophomore transfer from Louisiana State University, will join the University of Illinois program for the 2026-27 season.
Bourrage’s addition is notable as she brings experience from a nationally recognized program and was highly ranked out of high school. Her signing marks the third five-star recruit on Illinois’ roster for next season, joining Berry Wallace and Destiny Jackson. The move also makes her the first Iowa native to play under Green at Illinois.
Bourrage, a 5-foot-11 guard from Davenport, Iowa, earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors in high school and participated in national events such as the USA Women’s U18 National Team trials and Breanna Stewart’s Stewie 30 Elite Camp. During her freshman year at LSU, she appeared in 24 games with averages of 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game while shooting over thirty-three percent from the field.
Green said about Bourrage: “I am thrilled to have Divine join our family. We recruited her hard out of high school and know exactly what she can bring to our program. Her length, ability to score at all three levels, and her ability to defend and play multiple positions will help us tremendously! I can’t wait to get her here and get to work!”
Bourrage explained her decision by saying: “I chose Illinois because I want to grow as a player and have the chance to compete in front of my family. From a great relationship with the staff to mental health resources and an elite training facility, Illinois is the best place for me.”
The Fighting Illini women’s basketball team competes in NCAA Division I within the Big Ten Conference according to its official website. The program operates from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois according to its official website and engages in both conference and non-conference games throughout each season according to its official website. It also enhances athletic heritage at the university according to its official website while supporting student-athletes’ academic pursuits alongside athletics according to its official website.
As Bourrage prepares for her transition into Big Ten competition with Illinois after spending one year at LSU—where she contributed during their Sweet Sixteen run—the team looks ahead with optimism about further building on recent successes.
