CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With the second regular season under head coach
Shauna Green in the books, Illinois women's basketball saw four student-athletes earn Big Ten All-Conference recognition from the league's coaches and media.
Makira Cook earned second-team honors,
Kendall Bostic was tabbed second team by the media and honorable mention by the coaches,
Genesis Bryant was recognized as honorable mention in both polls, and
Gretchen Dolan was tabbed to the All-Freshman Team by the coaches. Bostic was also honored with her third consecutive Sportsmanship Award.
ILLINI AWARDS BREAKDOWN
Makira Cook - Second Team (Coaches), Second Team (Media)
Kendall Bostic - Honorable Mention (Coaches), Second Team (Media), Sportsmanship Award
Genesis Bryant - Honorable Mention (Coaches), Honorable Mention (Media)
Gretchen Dolan - All-Freshman Team (Coaches)
Cook earned all-conference honors for the third time in her career after being tabbed to the Atlantic 10's second team as a sophomore and the Big Ten's first team as a junior. Through the regular season, the senior point guard averaged a team-best 15.5 points per game while dishing out 104 assists and starting all 28 games she appeared in. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native led Illinois in scoring 10 times this season and turned in six 20-point games while scoring in double figures 24 times. Cook has been recognized throughout her senior campaign with honors such as Preseason All-Big Ten (Coaches & Media), Nancy Lieberman Watch List, Naismith Player of the Year Watch List, Wooden Preseason Top 50 Watch List, West Palm Beach Classic All-Tournament Team, and the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll.
After earning a Big Ten All-Conference honorable-mention nod by the media as a sophomore, Bostic was a second-team honoree by both the coaches and media as a junior and was tabbed a second-team selection by the media in 2024 along with honorable-mention status by the coaches. The senior has averaged a double-double with 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game to go along with 46 assists, 32 steals, and 21 blocks. A native of Kokomo, Indiana, Bostic is one of three Illini to start all 28 games and has racked up 12 double-doubles on the season. Bostic has led Illinois in rebounding in 19 games this season and scoring on two occasions. She is shooting a team-best 61.4% from the field this season. Bostic earned a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll this season. Bostic was also named Illinois' Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree for the third consecutive season.
In the second season of her career in a starting role, Bryant continued to impress for the Illini. One of three players to start all 28 games in the regular season, Bryant is averaging 14.1 points per game. Bryant has added 3.2 rebounds per game, 95 assists, 37 steals, four blocks, and a team-high 395 points. Bryant turned in two 30-point games in the span of three outings this season, becoming the first Illini to have multiple 30-point games in a season since 2010-11. She has tallied four outings of 20 or more points and has scored in double figures in 19 games this season. Bryant has also connected on multiple 3-pointers in 19 contests, including a career-high six against Missouri.
Dolan is the first Illini rookie to earn All-Freshman Team recognition since Brandi Beasley in 2017. The Buffalo, New York, native has become Illinois' regular first sub off the bench, stepping into a larger role when called upon. On the season, Dolan is averaging 4.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game. Dolan has appeared in all but three games for the Orange and Blue while averaging 17 minutes per appearance. She has tallied 26 assists, 11 steals, and six blocks through the regular season.
Dolan is the 15th Illinois freshman to land on the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team. Of the 14 prior honorees, 10 went on to score 1,000 points as an Illini.
Illinois turned in a 14-14 regular-season record, which included an 8-10 mark in Big Ten play. The Fighting Illini earned the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will open postseason play against 8-seeded Maryland Thursday at 11:30 a.m. CT.
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