Chambana Sun

For the third consecutive season, the Fighting Illini women's basketball team has secured a spot in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll under head coach Shauna Green. The team is ranked No. 23 in the Week 1 listing for the 2024-25 campaign. Illinois began their season with an 83-74 victory over No. 19 Florida State and followed it up with a 65-53 win against Marquette.

Since Green took over, Illinois has been featured in six AP polls. The team appeared in four Top-25 polls during the 2022-23 season, was included in the preseason rankings for 2023-24, and now holds a position in the Week 1 poll for 2024-25.

Historically, Illinois has made appearances in 69 AP polls across eleven different seasons. Coach Green joins Naismith Hall of Famer Theresa Grentz as one of only two coaches to lead Illinois to three consecutive seasons of AP Top-25 rankings. The last time Illinois achieved this feat was from the 1996-97 through the 2000-01 seasons.

Illinois has started this season strong with a record of 2-0, leading for most of their games and trailing for just a brief period. They have defeated a ranked opponent each season for three years running, marking their longest streak since similar achievements from the mid to late 2000s. Recent victories include wins over No. 19 Florida State on November 7, No. 16 Indiana on February 19, and No.12 Iowa on January 1.

The team was also receiving votes in both the AP and WBCA preseason polls this year.

Currently, six Big Ten teams are ranked within this week's AP Top-25 poll, with four additional teams receiving votes.