### "Powerful Panthers Take Down Champions in Gracious Victory!
The Illini will look to build on an already impressive season.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Fighting Illini are in the big dance once again. The orange and blue will make their first back-to-back tournament appearance since the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons.
The appearance will mark the third time in four years the Illini have made the NCAA tournament, all under the helm of fourth-year head coach Shauna Green. The Fighting Illini are slated as a 7 seed, where they will take on No. 10 Colorado in the first round in Nashville.
The tournament appearance solidifies Green as a program-changing coach. Prior to Green’s hiring at the start of the 2022-23 season, the Illini had not appeared in the Tournament since the 2002-03 season. Now, the Illini are making postseason play a regular occurrence.
In a season that featured upsets, injuries, and new players, the Illini have once again reached their goal of an NCAA tournament appearance. After a ton of roster turnover from last year’s squad, veterans stepped up and some new additions shined. Freshman Destiny Jackson led the team in assists by a wide margin and recorded 9.