Fighting Illini women’s basketball players have engaged in several activities over the summer aimed at both personal and professional growth. The team, under head coach Shauna Green, returns three players with previous starting experience: Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Berry Wallace, and Gretchen Dolan. Each participated in events representing Illinois this summer.
Berry Wallace attended the 2025 Black Student Athlete Summit in Chicago from May 21-24 at McCormick Place. The summit marked its 10th anniversary by bringing together more than 1,300 student-athletes, administrators, educators, and leaders nationwide to discuss the experiences of Black student-athletes. Wallace was one of six Fighting Illini chosen for the event.
Gretchen Dolan joined the inaugural Big Ten Student-Athlete Leadership Retreat at league offices in Rosemont, Illinois from June 16-18. The retreat offered workshops on leadership training, financial literacy, mental health, and brand building. It also included networking opportunities with alumni from member institutions.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger took part in the Illini Way Career Tour in Chicago from June 24-25. This two-day event introduced student-athletes to various industries through office tours and networking sessions with employers and Illinois alumni at companies such as Ferrara, tms, McDonald’s, Madison Industries, and Instacart.
On campus, team members participated in events like the Tom Jones Challenger League All Star Game and a Spikeball Tournament fundraiser held with Uplifting Athletes.
New assistant coach Jackie Alexander attended the TopConnect Basketball Symposium in Orlando on June 9. The symposium focuses on connecting top assistant coaches with mid-major athletic directors for networking and leadership development.
Internationally, three Illini student-athletes represented their home countries during the summer. Manuella Alves played for Brazil’s FIBA Women’s AmeriCup team that earned a silver medal. Alves also joined Irene Noya Catoira (Spain) and Cearah Parchment (Canada) on their respective national rosters for the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. Noya Catoira’s Spain team won bronze at that tournament.
Season tickets for the upcoming 2025-26 Illinois women’s basketball season at State Farm Center are now available for purchase.
