Illinois wins first WBIT championship

When a person thinks about the Big Ten in women’s college basketball, the first thing that may pop up is the greatness of Caitlin Clark. She had a marvelous senior year and brought Iowa to their second consecutive National Final. Another team is the Ohio State Buckeyes and their dominance throughout the year. However, the Illinois Fighting Illini represented the Big 10 well during the inaugural WBIT Tournament. 

Ever since head coach Shauna Green’s arrival to the program, she made it a goal to help Illinois return to winning ways. She did that in her first season by leading the Illini to their first NCAA Tournament in a decade. Despite losing in the first four, it was a step in the right direction for the program. 

The Illini headed into the 2023-24 season with high optimism, carrying their experience from the 2022-23 season into a new year. The backcourt of Makira Cook and Genesis Bryant was going to lead the way for the Illini. Also, they were backed up by tremendous talents like Kendall Bostic, Adalia McKenzie, and several others. 

The Big Ten is an elite conference. Several teams are worthy of being contenders and there wasn’t a night off during conference play. Illinois had their struggles against some of the contenders and finished the season 8-10 in conference play before losing to Maryland in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. 

Luckily, they finished with a 14-15 record, which allowed them to clinch the fourth seed in the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament. If there’s one thing about March, it’s that anything is possible. The regular season doesn’t matter as everyone’s record stands at 0-0. The Illini may not have been eligible for the NCAA Tournament but had a chance to prove themselves another way.

How many fans believed the fourth-seeded Illinois would make a deep Tournament run? Aside from their fans, there were a slim number of people who believed they could win the championship. Being the underdog was what gave the Illini motivation heading into the tournament. 

The teams that people were looking out for were Villanova, Washington State, and others. However, Illinois slowly crept into the conversation as a favorite to win the title. They came out on top in their first-round matchup vs Missouri State led by a great third quarter to take control. The momentum continued as they later defeated Stony Brook and Tulsa to make their way to the Final Four. 

The reason behind Illinois’ success is defense. They elevated their game on that end of the floor and continued to communicate and be physical on that end. The Illini were holding opponents to 36 percent shooting and continued to force turnovers as well. 

Battling defensively made everything on offense easier for Illinois. They continued to play at a steady pace that included great ball-movement and finding high percentage shots. Both Adalia McKenzie and Kendall Bostic had huge performances through the first three rounds. Their contributions on offense made the game easier for players like Genesis Bryant and Makira Cook. 

As the Tournament continued, the competition only got tougher. The Illini had to play Washington State in the Final Four. This was the round where everyone expected the team in Orange to go home. However, they stuck to their game plan. Illinois had to continue to set the tone defensively and disrupt opponents in their halfcourt offense. That formula worked against Washington State as they got off to a great start and never looked back. 

The Illini led 42-28 after the first half. The momentum continued as they forced 18 turnovers on the night. In the end, it was the team in Orange who came out on top in an 81-58 victory, led by 38 combined points from Bryant and Cook. Now it was off to the championship game as they looked to complete their mission. 

The championship round was unfamiliar territory for the Illini. Yes, they were happy to be in this moment but the feeling was surreal. On the other side, there was Villanova who were led by star player Lucy Olsen. The game plan was to slow down Villanova’s shooting and force them to work for their points. 

Villanova made Illinois earn their way to a victory. They had a terrific second quarter as they adjusted into zone coverage defensively, forcing Illinois to play at a slower pace. An 11-1 run to end the second quarters put Villanova on top at halftime, gaining momentum as they walked into the locker room. 

Illinois made their adjustments in the second half. They continued to apply pressure defensively and went back to playing at their own pace. The second half became the Makira Cook show. She showed the entire arsenal on offense with her 3-point shooting as well as finding gaps in the defense to attack the rim. Led by Cook, the Illini turned things around in the third quarter as they outscored Villanova 21-12. 

As time was ticking in the fourth quarter, the Illini could sense a championship was coming their way. Therefore, they had to remain focused in order to finish the job. Illinois continued to hang their hat on defense throughout the fourth quarter. Continuing to slow down Lucy Olsen was a big key as she was the focal point in Villanova’s offense. As time ran out, it was Illinois celebrating the first WBIT championship with a 71-57 victory. 

Cool led the way as she finished with 27 points and five assists. Bryant also contributed 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists. It was an accomplishment for Illinois to celebrate. This is a team who was battle tested all season and many fans began to lose faith in them. Luckily, they went into the WBIT with a new mindset and took care of business.