BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – JANUARY 16: Kendall Bostic #44 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots a free throw during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on January 16, 2024 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The Big Ten was well-represented in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, with Illinois going dancing this spring.
The Illini earned the No. 8 seed in Birmingham Regional 3, and will take on Creighton in the first round of the tournament on Saturday. If the Illini were to win that game, they could be in line to face No. 1-seeded Texas in the second round.
Illinois went on an impressive run through Big Ten play in January and mid-February, reeling off 10 wins in 11 games, but they stumbled down the stretch as they had to play UCLA and USC on the road and then Michigan at home to wrap up the season.
Kendall Bostic and Genesis Bryant each averaged more than 15 points per game for the Illini, with Bostic also leading the team with 11.1 rebounds per contest.
Another team with strong ties to the Chicago area also landed in the Birmingham Regional 3, as Notre Dame grabbed the No. 3 seed. They’ll face Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the tournament.
The Fighting Irish won 19 games in a row at one point during the season, but lost three of their final five games, including an ACC Tournament semifinal game against Duke.
Hannah Hidalgo led the Irish with 24.2 points per game, with 3.7 steals and 5.1 rebounds per contest. Liatu King averaged a double-double this season for Notre Dame, with 11.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest.
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The Big Ten landed two No. 1 seeds in this year’s tournament, with UCLA getting the top-overall seed in the bracket. Their in-city rivals at USC also earned a No. 1 seed in the Spokane Regional 4.
Iowa also landed in that region. Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska are all in Birmingham Regional 3 with Illinois and Notre Dame, while Indiana, Maryland, Washington and Oregon are all in Birmingham Regional 2.
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You can find the full bracket via NBC News here.
