BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2026

Shauna Green

Berry Wallace

Jasmine Brown-Hagger

Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Illinois Fighting Illini

Postgame Press Conference

Iowa 64, Illinois 58

SHAUNA GREEN: Just the first quarter to start the game, we came out flat and got behind and dug ourselves a 10-point hole and just didn't have enough to really fight back.

I thought our fourth quarter was great. Loved our intensity. I loved our fight. This team, the one thing about this team we're never going to give up, we're never going to stop fighting. We clawed our way back and ended up cutting it to six.

A lot of learning opportunities for a young team of what it takes in this tournament, and then also learning opportunities as we continue to grow going into the NCAA Tournament.

Just ran out of gas a little bit.

But credit Iowa. They're a really good team. Just didn't have it tonight.

Q. Jasmine, you guys had three games in a row here in Indy. Just want to get your thoughts on how you think this will help you guys as you're entering the postseason?

JASMINE BROWN-HAGGER: Kind of like we mentioned in the locker room, I think this was a great testament for us to be able to respond hopefully going into the NCAA Tournament that we're going to be playing games back to back and knowing we have to respond and not give in to the fatigue.

One thing about us is we learn from experiences, so come the tournament, I hope we're able to respond and win those games in a row.

Q. Berry, wanted to ask about the deep ball this evening. Was it just a matter of the perimeter defense that you were getting from Iowa or were just the shots not falling this evening?

BERRY WALLACE: Yeah, I think we were able to read how the defense was playing me and they were going under a lot of stuff, so we were able to get a lot of those pop-backs and threes for me. I think they just weren't going in. Those are shots I normally hit, so...

Q. That 17-2 run in the fourth quarter, what were you ladies doing differently, kind of adjusting things that you did in the fourth that you weren't doing in the first half?

JASMINE BROWN-HAGGER: From my observations, we just played free, played hard. We gave everything we had into those last five minutes, the last battle of the game. Everyone on the court was together.

I think that just shows what we can do when everyone is locked in in one moment in time.

Q. Berry, just three games in Indy for your team, for this young group, as well. What can it do for you building into the NCAA Tournament and then also having success like you did as a team?

BERRY WALLACE: Yeah, I think this week was a great learning experience for us, and I think we're just going to watch film from this and learn a lot of different things.

And I think we did a good job this week in just adjusting. We had a great win yesterday, and just trying to get through some of the adversity that we faced early in the season. Maybe we didn't get those wins early in the season, but I think we were able to learn from that.

I think playing these back-to-back games is good for us, especially going forward into the tournament. It's going to be quick turnarounds, so I think ultimately it was just a good learning experience for us.

Q. 21 wins this season. As you guys reflect on the season as a whole, what is your biggest takeaway?

BERRY WALLACE: I would just say my biggest takeaway is just that we're capable of anything. We had a lot of close games with a lot of really good teams, and I think just going into this postseason tournament and into next year, we know that even though we're young, we're capable of so much.

I think just knowing that when we play to our full potential on defense, that's going to fuel our offense. We really saw a lot of glimpses of that today and all season we have, and I think when we just continue to string that all together, we're going to have a lot of success.

Q. Beyond two wins, what did this three-night experience do for your team as you go into the NCAA Tournament, and what can you take from it beyond the two wins?

SHAUNA GREEN: So much, right? So much. Just the understanding what it takes in a win or go home environment, understanding how to have quick turnarounds and still be able to get a scout in, and again, with a team that has never been through a lot of this stuff together.

I think today we just didn't execute at a high level. Then when the shots -- the thing also about a young team, sometimes when the shots aren't going in, then that almost mentally -- then your defense. We can't have that. We've got to still have our defense fuel our offense, no matter the circumstances, no matter what's going on. So those learning moments, and again, experiences with this team.

But I mean, I'm so proud of this team. We wanted to win tonight. We played Iowa tight before. I know we're capable of doing it. It just wasn't our night for whatever reason.

Again, this team -- one thing we've done well all year is we've taken failure, we've taken adversity and we've been able to grow from it, and that's what I think got us the big win last night.

I think we took some of those moments from some of those previous tight losses into being able to execute last night when we had to. A ton of things we can learn from it. A ton of things we're going to carry into the tournament with us, and a ton of things that can really propel us into next year.

Q. 11 three-pointers that you hit up there in Iowa City. What was the difference maybe in this game? You referenced maybe thinking you got some good looks. What did you see from that perspective?

SHAUNA GREEN: I really did. Berry, I agree with her 100 percent. All those looks, they were going under, so we put some tweaks into some of the plays to pop her back and just a little short on everything.

I don't know if that's fatigue, whatever it is, they just didn't go in. I always tell our players they're not going to hear me get upset about shots that don't go in. They're going to heart me get upset if we're not playing hard, we're not giving everything they have, we're not putting all-out effort, we're not having all-out position, we're not having all-out togetherness.

But the shots, sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't. Could we have done some things better in our execution of game plan and scout and effort on the defensive end, yes.

Q. I wanted to get your thoughts on Jazz and her setting the example for the team no matter what the score was.

SHAUNA GREEN: That's what Illinois basketball is about. That's what being an everyday woman is about. You play the game the right way. You play hard. You play tough. You never stop. You don't care about the scoreboard. It's process driven. You leave every ounce of yourself out on that floor.

I thought she embodied that today. That's what we expect from a junior, one of our few upperclassmen, someone that's been in this program, someone that loves this program. That's the toughness that we need.

The last couple weeks Jazz has just been on a whole 'nother level in terms of her leadership, her work ethic, her ownership in this program, her ability to lead. I'm just so proud of her, and the future is bright. She really kind of gets us going.

But we fought. We came back. We clawed. We did everything we could do, and we emptied our tank in that fourth quarter.

So I'm really proud of that, and we need to take that fourth quarter effort, focus, discipline, execution into our next game.

Q. Maddie had nine points and Destiny had 10 points. Could you just speak to how they've impacted all three games for you this week?

SHAUNA GREEN: Yeah, Destiny has been -- she's been huge for us. She's a freshman. She's a freshman point guard that's still learning a lot, being on this stage. It's a lot. I thought she had some plays, but she responded, as well. She ended up with six assists and only two turnovers so she took care of the basketball, which was something that was really important for her.

She missed a couple that she normally makes, too. She's been absolutely key to us all season. We're not at 21 wins without her. We're not at 21 wins without all these guys doing their jobs and doing everything they possibly can every single day.

Again, just proud of this group.