March 2022 was a month that changed the Illinois basketball program forever.
That is the month that the Illini hired Shauna Green to guide the women's program, which was rudderless.
Winning instantly started, as Green used the transfer portal to give the Orange and Blue a shot in the arm. That transfer portal usage has been honed over the years, and now she is using it to land some big fish.
This offseason, Illinois was able to land transfer portal talent Divine Bourrage . She entered the transfer portal from LSU, where she averaged 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. This addition wasn't just exciting for the program, but Illinois' star point guard also took notice.
In an interview with Tristan Thomas of WCIA 3, Destiny Jackson was glowing when talking about the addition of Bourrage.
"I was the most excited person," Jackson said with a smile from ear to ear, "that is my best friend."
Jackson was already familiar with Bourrage, as they were both elite players in the Midwest and two of the top guards in the country.
"On the court and off the court, obviously, she has someone she is familiar with, so that makes the transition a little bit easier. On the court, Divine is a very good player, and I know she is going to fit into our system just right."
I remember back in the day when Illinois would land a four-star recruit, and it was a big deal. This program was so bad that just one solid recruit would be crazy.
What Illinois has on the roster for the 2026-27 season is something we have never seen before with the women's program. Jackson is a former five-star. Manuella Alves, Berry Wallace, and Cearah Parchment were all four-star recruits.
Green has now added Bourrage from the transfer portal. She was a five-star recruit coming into last season.
The amount of talent on the Illinois roster is incredible. We haven't seen anything like this, and I would imagine the record is going to reflect the roster construct. Look for this to be one of the best seasons in program history.
This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as Illinois basketball star ready to shine with "best friend" transfer portal addition .
