Chambana Sun

The Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball team claimed their first-ever postseason title by defeating Villanova 71-57 in the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) final at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The win marks a significant milestone for the program, which had not previously secured a postseason championship.

Makira Cook played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring a game-high 27 points. After being limited to five points in the first half due to foul trouble, Cook exploded with 22 points in the second half. She also contributed five assists, two rebounds, one block, and one steal. Genesis Bryant added 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists to help secure the win for Illinois.

Kendall Bostic achieved a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Camille Hobby contributed eight points and ten rebounds while blocking two shots.

The game began with Villanova taking an early lead, but Illinois quickly responded. A layup from Bryant followed by her third-chance bucket on offensive rebounds put Illinois ahead after a brief back-and-forth exchange of leads between the teams. By halftime, Villanova led 32-29 following an 11-1 run.

Illinois took control in the second half with a decisive 16-0 run that included three consecutive three-pointers from Cook. This stretch gave Illinois an advantage they would maintain throughout the rest of the game.

Head Coach Shauna Green has now led Illinois to back-to-back .500 seasons for the first time since 2006-07 and 2007-08. Under her leadership, Illinois has recorded their most wins over two seasons since Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz's tenure.

The victory against Villanova was also notable as it was only their second-ever meeting and marked Green's first coaching win against them. The Illini improved their record at Hinkle Fieldhouse to 3-0 and remain undefeated in WBIT play at 5-0.