Commitment Alert: Illini Women’s Basketball Secures 2025 Australian Wing Erica Finney
The Illinois women’s basketball team received a major boost on Thursday with the commitment of Class of 2025 forward Erica Finney. Finney, a 6-foot-1 wing, joins five-star guard Destiny Jackson as the second commitment in the Illini’s 2025 class.
At the recent FIBA U17 2024 World Cup, Finney showcased her skills by averaging 8.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and shooting 35.9% from three-point range. Illinois fended off competition from Davidson and Cal to secure her commitment, thanks to the strong recruiting efforts led by head coach Shauna Green. Finney becomes Illinois’ second international recruit in consecutive classes, following Spanish forward Irene Noya Catoria, who joined the Class of 2024.
Why It Matters:
With several key players graduating after this season—including Makira Cook, Genesis Bryant, and Kendall Bostic—the Illini are in need of versatile talents to reload their roster. Finney adds shooting depth and size to Illinois’ lineup, complementing players like Berry Wallace, who will be a sophomore when Finney arrives, and Gretchan Dolan, who will be a junior. She joins a team foundation that includes Jasmine Brown-Haggar, Shay Bollin, and top incoming freshmen.
The Illini remain active in recruiting for future seasons and are in contention for high-ranking prospects, such as Layla Hays (No. 58), Naomi Benson (No. 98), and Addi Mack (No. 100). For Finney, Illinois’ pro-style offense provides an ideal platform to prove herself as more than just a perimeter shooter, adding valuable versatility to the wing.
In July, Coach Green emphasized the importance of building long-term recruiting relationships, stating, “If it’s meant to be and they really are true to what they want, then hopefully we can get a couple of ’em.”
Erica Finney
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