May 28—CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois women’s basketball team has used the final few weeks of May to fill out its roster for the 2026-27 season.
On Thursday, the Illini announced they had signed junior-college guard Ona Riopedre.
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Riopedre arrives in Champaign from Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, N.J. The 6-foot guard played in five games last season for the Lions and averaged 12.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 33 minutes per game before an injury ended her sophomore year. Riopedre also shot 44.8 percent from the field, including 34.2 percent from beyond three-point arc.
The Barcelona, Spain, native had a more productive freshman year at RVCC, where she posted 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
“I am so excited to have Ona join our famILLy,” Illinois coach Shauna Green said in a statement. “Ona is long and versatile. She scored the ball at a high level in her freshman season and will add depth to our backcourt. We can’t wait for Ona to get here and get to work.”
Riopedre will be a junior next season for the Illini and has at least two years of eligibility left but that could increase if she’s granted a medical redshirt year or if the NCAA institutes, as expected, a new “5-in-5” age-based eligibility model.
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Illinois has now added three players in the offseason with Riopedre and LSU transfer guard Divine Bourage joining an ever-crowded and talented backcourt, and the Illini also bringing in Bosnian center Lana Brenjo. Illinois also lost three players to the transfer portal in the offseason as guard Erica Finney (Loyola Marymount), forward Naomi Benson (Cincinnati) and center Hayven Smith (Western Kentucky) landed elsewhere.
That means Illinois now has 14 players on its 2026-27 roster, with 11 players returning from last season’s NCAA tournament team in guards Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Gretchen Dolan, Aaliyah Guyton, Destiny Jackson, Maddie Webber and Mia Zenere, forwards Manuella Alves, Irene Noya Catoira, Cearah Parchment and Berry Wallace and center Lety Vasconcelos.
The Illini are coming off a 22-12 season, in which Illinois advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for a second straight year after defeating Colorado in the first round before a season-ending loss to Vanderbilt.
“I chose Illinois because it’s the perfect place for me to grow as both a student and athlete,” Riopedre said. “I am excited to be a part of The Grainger College of Engineering while competing at the highest level on the court. The welcoming energy and connection with the staff made me realize there is no better place to challenge myself and contribute to this amazing program.”
