Illinois Women’s Basketball Cracks the AP Poll
Illinois women’s basketball made its debut in the AP Top 25 this week, coming in at No. 23 after a dominant win on Sunday night. This marks the Illini’s first ranking since the preseason of 2023, when they were also slotted at No. 23 but quickly fell out of the poll.
After opening the season with two strong victories, Illinois earned enough votes to break into the top 25. The Florida State team Illinois defeated last week dropped out of the rankings but still received votes.
The Illini are now the seventh Big Ten team to be ranked in the Week 2 AP poll, joining UCLA, USC, Maryland, Ohio State, Nebraska, and fellow conference member Oregon, which also made its way into the top 25.
Illinois will look to build on its 2-0 start when they take on Eastern Illinois Thursday in hopes of improving to 3-0.
