The University of Illinois Fighting Illini women’s basketball team is set to face Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, March 6, 2026. The game will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Central Time.
Illinois enters the matchup as the No. 10 seed with a season record of 21-10 overall and 9-9 in conference play. Iowa holds the No. 2 seed and is ranked ninth nationally, coming into the tournament with a 24-5 overall record and a 15-3 mark in the Big Ten.
The Fighting Illini have advanced to the quarterfinals after securing wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State earlier in the tournament. In their first-round game against Wisconsin, Berry Wallace scored 22 points while Destiny Jackson added a career-high 21 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Cearah Parchment broke the program’s freshman season rebounding record during that game.
In their second-round victory over Michigan State, Illinois had five players score in double figures to earn their third ranked win of the season and advance to the quarterfinals for the second time under head coach Shauna Green.
Shauna Green has led Illinois to three seasons with at least 20 wins during her four-year tenure as head coach. With Thursday’s win over Michigan State, Green achieved her 84th victory at Illinois, moving into sole possession of second place on the program’s all-time win list for head coaches.
Illinois has been competitive against ranked opponents this season and under Green’s leadership has secured nine wins over top-25 teams since her arrival in 2022. This includes victories against Maryland, Washington, Creighton, and most recently Michigan State.
Iowa comes into Friday’s contest on a six-game winning streak from regular season play. The Hawkeyes previously defeated Illinois during their regular-season meeting on February 26 in Iowa City by a score of 82-78. Jan Jenson is leading Iowa in her second year as head coach with a cumulative record of 47-16 entering this tournament.
Historically, Illinois trails Iowa in their all-time series with a record of 21-62. At neutral sites such as Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Iowa leads Illinois by a margin of 33-5.
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini women’s basketball program competes within NCAA Division I as part of the Big Ten Conference and plays its home games in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The program participates in both conference and non-conference games throughout each season while supporting student-athletes academically and athletically and maintaining longstanding athletic traditions (https://fightingillini.com/sports/womens-basketball).
Friday’s game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network and can also be streamed via Fox Sports App or listened to through Busey Bank Illini Sports Network.
