Brittany Perry Assistant Athletic Director, Sports Nutrition | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Brittany Perry Assistant Athletic Director, Sports Nutrition | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Fighting Illini women's basketball team has secured the No. 21 spot in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll for the fourth consecutive week. The team, known as the Orange and Blue, held a record of 6-1 at the time of this ranking.
Under Coach Green's leadership, Illinois has been featured in nine AP polls. The team's appearances include four Top-25 polls during the 2022-23 season, followed by preseason rankings in 2023-24, and most recently from Week 2 to Week 5 in the current season.
Historically, Illinois has appeared in a total of 72 AP polls across 11 different seasons. Coach Green joins Naismith Hall of Famer Theresa Grentz as one of only two coaches in program history to achieve AP Top-25 rankings for three consecutive seasons. This achievement was last seen during a five-season stretch from 1996-97 through 2000-01.
The highest ranking achieved under Green was No. 19 last week, surpassing their previous high of No. 21 set during the 2022-23 season. The program's all-time highest ranking is No. 5, recorded on December 8, 1997.
This season marks Illinois' third consecutive year with a victory over a ranked opponent, echoing a similar streak from the mid-2000s. Recent victories include wins against No. 19 Florida State on November 7, No. 16 Indiana on February 19, and No. 12 Iowa on January 1.
Illinois received votes in both the AP and WBCA preseason polls and climbed three spots from their previous week's position at No. 22.