Nothing but bad luck for Shauna Green’s team this year.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini fifth-year Makira Cook will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season due to an ongoing health condition, Illinois head coach Shauna Green announced Wednesday.
Cook concludes her collegiate career with 1,723 points (14.6/game), 408 assists (3.5/game), 376 rebounds (3.2/game), and 119 steals (1.0/game) across 118 games played and 95 starts. She shot 40.1% (639-of-1592) from the field, 34.4% (151-of-439) from 3-point range, and 81.4% (294-for-361) from the free throw line across her career. Cook finished with 86 games scoring 10+ points, 33 with 20+ points, and one 30-point outing. The point guard notched four double-doubles.
In her time at Illinois, Cook tallied 1,152 points (16.7/game), 289 assists (4.2/game), 213 rebounds (3.1/game), and 76 steals (1.1/game) across 69 games, starting all 69. Throughout her three seasons in the Orange and Blue, Cook shot 40.3% (417-of-1036) from the field, 34.1% (104-of-305) from deep, and 85.3% (214-of-251) from the charity stripe. She finished with 56 games scoring 10+ points, 26 with 20+ points, one 30-point effort, and two double-doubles while at Illinois.
After spending the first two seasons of her career at Dayton, Cook followed Green to Illinois ahead of the 2022-23 season. She competed in the WNIT as a freshman, the NCAA Tournament her sophomore and junior campaigns, and the WBIT her senior season.
Cook racked up accolades across her career, earning AP honorable mention All-America status (2023), WBIT Most Outstanding Player (2024), two-time First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media, 2023), two-time Second Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media, 2024), Second Team All-Atlantic 10 (2022), Atlantic 10 Most Improved Player (2022), Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team (2022), two-time Preseason All-Big Ten (2023, ’24), two-time Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List (2023, ’24), and two-time Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List (2023, ’24).
At this time, Cook owns spots on the all-time lists across several career statistical categories in the Illinois record book. Her 85.3% mark from the free throw line is the top mark of all completed Illini careers. Cook ranks tied for 12th on both the career made 3-point field goal and career 3-point field goal percentage lists. She also ranks 14th in career 3-point field goals attempted, 16th in career assists, and 24th in career points scored at Illinois.
Cook made eight appearances during the Illini’s 2024-25 season, with her final appearance dating back to Dec. 8 at Ohio State. The fifth-year guard averaged 11.9 points, 3.6 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals across those eight starts while shooting 34.8% (31-for-89) from the field, 27.6% (8-for-29) from 3-point range, and 80.6% (25-for-31) from the free throw line. Scoring in double figures on four occasions, Cook tallied 20 points twice, including a 20-point effort in Illinois’ season-opening upset of No. 19 Florida State on Nov. 7.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini fifth-year Makira Cook will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season due to an ongoing health condition, Illinois head coach Shauna Green announced Wednesday.
Cook concludes her collegiate career with 1,723 points (14.6/game), 408 assists (3.5/game), 376 rebounds (3.2/game), and 119 steals (1.0/game) across 118 games played and 95 starts. She shot 40.1% (639-of-1592) from the field, 34.4% (151-of-439) from 3-point range, and 81.4% (294-for-361) from the free throw line across her career. Cook finished with 86 games scoring 10+ points, 33 with 20+ points, and one 30-point outing. The point guard notched four double-doubles.
In her time at Illinois, Cook tallied 1,152 points (16.7/game), 289 assists (4.2/game), 213 rebounds (3.1/game), and 76 steals (1.1/game) across 69 games, starting all 69. Throughout her three seasons in the Orange and Blue, Cook shot 40.3% (417-of-1036) from the field, 34.1% (104-of-305) from deep, and 85.3% (214-of-251) from the charity stripe. She finished with 56 games scoring 10+ points, 26 with 20+ points, one 30-point effort, and two double-doubles while at Illinois.
After spending the first two seasons of her career at Dayton, Cook followed Green to Illinois ahead of the 2022-23 season. She competed in the WNIT as a freshman, the NCAA Tournament her sophomore and junior campaigns, and the WBIT her senior season.
Cook racked up accolades across her career, earning AP honorable mention All-America status (2023), WBIT Most Outstanding Player (2024), two-time First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media, 2023), two-time Second Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media, 2024), Second Team All-Atlantic 10 (2022), Atlantic 10 Most Improved Player (2022), Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team (2022), two-time Preseason All-Big Ten (2023, ’24), two-time Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List (2023, ’24), and two-time Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List (2023, ’24).
At this time, Cook owns spots on the all-time lists across several career statistical categories in the Illinois record book. Her 85.3% mark from the free throw line is the top mark of all completed Illini careers. Cook ranks tied for 12th on both the career made 3-point field goal and career 3-point field goal percentage lists. She also ranks 14th in career 3-point field goals attempted, 16th in career assists, and 24th in career points scored at Illinois.
Cook made eight appearances during the Illini’s 2024-25 season, with her final appearance dating back to Dec. 8 at Ohio State. The fifth-year guard averaged 11.9 points, 3.6 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals across those eight starts while shooting 34.8% (31-for-89) from the field, 27.6% (8-for-29) from 3-point range, and 80.6% (25-for-31) from the free throw line. Scoring in double figures on four occasions, Cook tallied 20 points twice, including a 20-point effort in Illinois’ season-opening upset of No. 19 Florida State on Nov. 7.
