Chambana Sun

Illinois Women's Basketball Head Coach Shauna Green has announced the signing of Manuella Alves to the Fighting Illini program. Alves, originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will join the team next season after officially committing by completing a Big Ten Athletics Scholarship Agreement during the National Signing Period.

Alves is a 6'3" forward currently attending IMG Academy for her senior year. She previously played at Central Pointe Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida, where she participated in 21 games and averaged 7.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game during the 2022-23 season. Before moving to the United States for her junior year, Alves was not present in the country for her freshman or sophomore seasons.

Ranked as a four-star recruit by both ESPNW's HoopGurlz rankings and 247Sports, Alves has shown impressive performances on international stages as well. She averaged 10.7 points and 8.2 rebounds over six games for Brazil at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup and contributed significantly at other international championships.

Alves explained her decision to choose Illinois: "I chose Illinois because I felt it was the right place for me. I know that I'm going to grow as a player and as a person. I want to be great, and I know that Illinois is going to make me great."

Coach Green expressed enthusiasm about adding Alves to the team: "We are so excited to have Manuella join our family... She brings that toughness to our game, and to our team." Green highlighted Alves' versatility on the court as an asset following Kendall Bostic's graduation: "Manuella's versatility is something that our whole staff really loves about her game... We know Manuella will continue to improve once she gets here."