Illinois, the youngest team in Women's NCAA tournament, proving age is just a number
No. 7 seed Illinois faces No. 2 seed Vanderbilt in Nashville in the second round of the Women's NCAA Tournament.
NASHVILLE, TN — No team in the Women's NCAA Tournament is younger than No. 7 seed Illinois . Twelve of the 15 players on their roster are underclassmen.
And the average age of the team is under 20. The Fighting Illini roster , with only two players – Gretchen Dolan and Gisela Segura – over the age of 21, faced concerns about inexperience at the start of the season. For a program still working to establish itself, that youth only added more uncertainty.
Now, the Illini are fully embracing that identity as a key part of their success. It may even be their biggest strength. “We’re the youngest team in the NCAA tournament … at first I was like, we’re not going to talk about youth,” coach Shauna Green said.
“Then I’m like, we are what we are … let’s use it as more fuel. ” WHO'S IN WOMEN's SWEET 16: Updated NCAA Tournament bracket, schedule After coming off back-to-back losing seasons just a few years ago, the program has seen a quick turnaround under head coach Shauna Green. Illinois posted a 22-10 record in her first full season and won the 2024 WBIT championship.