NORMAL, ILL.- The season has not effectively ended last Friday after all, as ISU women’s basketball still has some hoops left to play. The Redbirds have just received a bid to participate in the annual WNIT tournament. It will be the first postseason play for Illinois State since 2013.
The tournament will see 32 teams face off at four separate regional sites. Each team is guaranteed at least two games of play beginning on Friday. If the Redbirds win, they will continue play up through March 28th, otherwise they will enter the consolation bracket.
Rockford, IL is the most likely of the four places to see ISU take on their first opponent. If they win that region, they’ll head to Memphis for a chance to compete for the WNIT championship. Limited fan attendance is also expected, but no tickets will be made available to the general public. Three total Missouri Valley Conference teams will be participating this weekend, with Drake and Northern Iowa joining the Redbirds.
Mixed results have come with ISU in the WNIT, just a 20-18 overall record all-time.The appearance marks the 13th in the program’s history and the first by head coach Kristen Gillespie. However, maybe JuJu Redmond coming off the best game of her career, can help her coach win her first game in this unique and historic tournament.
Photo courtesy of goredbirds.com