Birds Host Illinois Wesleyan Sunday for Exhibition

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball hosts cross-town foe Illinois Wesleyan in a regular-season dress rehearsal Sunday inside CEFCU Arena at 2 p.m. Admission is free for all fans. 

No broadcast is available, but fans can listen live on the Varsity Network, WJBC AM 1230 and FM 102.1.  

CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT 

Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan meet for the second-consecutive preseason, after a 94-56 win for the Redbirds prior to the 2023-24 campaign. It unofficially marked the first-ever meeting between the two sides.  

ABOUT LAST YEAR 

The Redbirds are coming off another strong year under head coach Kristen Gillespie, after a 22-12 campaign that included a trip to the WNIT, Illinois State's fourth-consecutive bid to the postseason. Illinois State earned consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time under Gillespie and the first time as a program since 2009-10 and 2010-11. The Redbirds won their first game in the postseason since 2013 en route to the WNIT 

Super 16, defeating Charleston inside CEFCU Arena. 

DeAnna Wilson was an All-MVC Second Team Selection while Kate Bullman landed on the All-MVC Defensive Team. Shannon Dowell was an All-MVC Freshman Team selection a year ago. 

PRESEASON PUB 

Maya Wong was named to the All-MVC Preseason Second Team heading into the 2024-2025 campaign. Wong is coming off a career year for Illinois State last season, where she averaged career bests of 11.8 points and 4.2 assists while starting all 34 games for the Redbirds. 

She scored in double-figures in a career-best 21 contests and recorded her first-career 20-plus point outings Dec. 19 vs Saint Louis and Feb. 29 at Southern Illinois. Wong also surpassed 1,000 career points March 7 vs Murray State, becoming the 32nd player in program history to do so. 

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.