NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball head coach Kristen Gillespie has announced the addition of former Portland State forward Hannah Chicken (Taree, New South Wales, Australia) for the 2026-27 campaign.
"We are thrilled to welcome Hannah into our Redbird family," Gillespie said. "She's a highly skilled post player that will provide depth in our front court. Beyond her ability to score and impact the game on both ends, what stood out most was who she is as a person. She's a natural fit for our culture and someone who will help us compete for championships."
Chicken comes to Illinois State from Portland State, where she appeared in all 31 games, starting 14, while averaging 25.6 minutes per game for the Vikings during her freshman campaign in 2025-26. She ranked second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game while leading the Vikings with a .489 field goal percentage and .413 three-point field goal percentage. Chicken ranked 15th in the Big Sky Conference with 5.8 rebounds per game and ranked 13th in the conference with 1.81 offensive rebounds per contest.
She scored in double figures 20 times during the season, including a career-high 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting in a win over Sacramento State. Chicken also grabbed 10+ rebounds three times during the season and recorded a pair of double-doubles against Cal St. Fullerton and Northern Arizona. In addition, she led the team in steals with 42 and was third in assists with 48 on the year.
During her prep career, Chicken was named Defensive Player of the Year within the NBL1 league following the 2024 season and earned MVP honors of the u18 Division during the 2022-23 season. In Australia, she won the NBL1 East title with the Newcastle Falcons in 2024 and placed third at nationals with NSW Country in 2022. She also won three-straight state titles with her Hunter Sports High School team.
Chicken will be joined on the Redbird roster by fellow transfer Chloe Spreen (Indiana) and four high school standouts as newcomers. The transfer duo also joins an exciting group of returners for Illinois State next season, including MVC assists leader Trista Fayta and Nevaeh Thomas, who returns for her senior campaign. Illinois State tallied a 24-14 record and advanced to the WNIT Championship game, earning a postseason bid for the sixth consecutive season and a 20-win campaign for the fourth straight year.
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