Illinois
Women’s March Madness 2025: 35 players from Illinois who are part of the NCAA tournament
The NCAA women’s basketball tournament begins in earnest on Friday.
The women’s March Madness field of 68 includes just one team from Illinois, with the Fighting Illini of the Big Ten Conference joining their men’s team in the NCAAs.
But what about those athletes who played high school hoops in Illinois? We have you covered.
Below are the at least 35 NCAA women’s tournament players who are from Illinois, listed by conference starting with the Big Ten and the Missouri Valley, followed by other major conferences and mid-majors.
Big Ten
- Sydney Affolter, Iowa: 5-11 senior from Chicago Marist.
- Lenee Beaumont, Indiana: 6-1 sophomore from Lisle Benet.
- Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Illinois: 5-9 sophomore played part of her high school career at Joliet Catholic.
- Angela Dugalic, UCLA: 6-4 senior from Des Plaines Maine West.
- Kyle Feuerbach, Iowa: 6-0 senior from Sycamore.
- Emily Fisher, Maryland: 6-0 sophomore from Libertyville.
- Aaliyah Guyton, Iowa: 5-7 freshman from Peoria High.
- Amiah Hargrove, Nebraska: 6-2 freshman from Christopher
- Greta Kampschroeder, Michigan: 6-1 senior from Naperville North.
- Bri McDaniel, Maryland: 5-10 junior from Chicago Kenwood.
- Kendall Moriarty, Nebraska: 6-1 senior from Lisle Benet.
- Hayden Smith, Illinois: 6-6 freshman from Frankfort Lincoln-Way East.
- Mia Zenere, Illinois: 5-11 freshman played part of her high school career at Lincoln-Way Central.
Missouri Valley
- Katelyn Young, Murray State: 6-1 senior from Fithian Oakwood.
ACC
- Lorena Awou, NC State: 6-5 freshman from East Moline United.
- Sarah Cernugel, Notre Dame: 5-4 senior from Hinsdale Central.
- Jordan Wood, Duke: 6-4 sophomore from Mundelein Carmel.
Big 12
- Kenzie Hare, Iowa State: 5-9 junior from Bartlett.
- Sydney Harris, Iowa State: 6-1 junior from Edwardsville.
SEC
- Alyssa Latham, Tennessee: 6-2 sophomore from Homewood-Flossmoor.
- Aneesah Morrow, LSU: 5-1 senior from Chicago Simeon.
Mid-major
- Addie Budnik, Richmond: 6-2 senior from Highland Park.
- Taylor Charles, Princeton: 6-2 junior from Burlington Central.
- Peyton Gerdes, High Point: 6-0 freshman from Grayslake North.
- Anna Griffin, Arkansas State: 6-1 senior from Aurora Christian.
- Erin Houpt, San Diego State: 5-6 junior from Danville.
- Quincenia Jackson, Arkansas State: 6-1 junior from Decatur MacArthur.
- Lexi Kerstein, Vermont: 5-6 sophomore from Deerfield.
- Katie Krupa, Harvard: 6-1 junior from Morton.
- Annika Manthy, Richmond: 6-3 freshman from Arlington Heights Hersey.
- Jessie Ozzauto, Lehigh: 5-10 sophomore from Huntley.
- Zuri Ransom, Ball State: 5-10 freshman from Evanston.
- Maddy Saracco, Tennessee Tech: 5-10 sophomore played part of her high school career at Lombard Montini.
- Taris Thornton, Tennessee Tech: 6-0 senior played in high school at Willowbrook and Lombard Montini.
- Tessa Towers, Ball State: 6-5 junior from Batavia.
A bakery is suing a roofing company after a fire destroyed two businesses in McHenry, Illinois, back in January.
According to the Northwest Herald, the Riverside Bake Shop, which has been a community staple for more than 50 years, claims APR Roofing was negligent while performing work on the roof.
While the fire that gutted the bakery at 1309 Riverside Dr. in McHenry on Sunday, Jan. 18, was found to be accidental, the bakery alleges the roofers heated up the wood board under the roof, and this led to the fire, the Northwest Herald reported.
The bakery sustained more than $1 million in damage.
Court documents confirm the lawsuit, and show the bakery is asking for a jury trial and damages in excess of $50,000.
Pet food and supply store Reeses Barkery and Pawtique was located in the same building and was also gutted in the fire. The pet food store has since reopened on Pearl Street.
In a statement on the store’s Facebook page, the owners of Reeses Barkery and Pawtique said the reopening came thanks to the support they received frm the community.
“Three months ago, everything changed. There are moments you never forget. Walking through the damage. Not knowing what came next. Wondering how you even begin again,” the business said in part. “But then something incredible happened. Our community showed up. You checked on us. You supported us. You walked back through our doors. Because of you, we are still here. Still standing. Still spoiling pets.”
The George Thompson Insurance Agency and McHenry Dental Associates were also damaged in the fire, according to the McHenry Chamber of Commerce.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Illinois baseball was unable to clinch the series win on Saturday at home against Nebraska.
After beating the 20th-ranked Cornhuskers 10-5 on Friday night, Nebraska evened the series with a 10-5 win on Saturday.
Illini starter Mitch Dye allowed eight runs, five being earned, in 3.1 innings pitched.
AJ Putty, Kyle Schupmann, Daniel Contreras and J.R. Nelson all drove in runs for Illinois – but the Illini failed to capitalize heavily in the fourth inning after loading the bases with no one ount – coming away with just one run as the Huskers nabbed an inning ending double play.
Illinois falls to 21-20 overall with the loss, and 9-11 in conference play. The rubber match between these two Big Ten foes is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
A donut shot in Gurnee, Illinois, was broken into overnight.
Gurnee Donuts owners posted on Facebook showing shattered glass in the doorway and on the sidewalk. “We are upset, but good,” owners said in the post.
In the post, owners said several other “neighbors were broken into.”
Owners said nothing of value was taken and the Gurnee Police Department are assisting.
Gurnee Donuts will remain open for businesses the door is boarded up.
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