NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball (24-12, 14-6 MVC) battles Troy (23-13, 13-5 Sun Belt) Wednesday night in the WNIT Fab 4 inside CEFCU Arena. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+. 

The winner advances to take on Buffalo or Cleveland State Saturday at 4 p.m. in the WNIT Championship on CBS Sports Network. The location of that contest is still to be determined.  

WNIT HISTORY  

Illinois State is in the WNIT Semifinal for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2011. The Redbirds made three consecutive WNIT semifinal runs from 2009 to 2011, earning six wins over Power 5 foes across the three runs. The Redbirds have never played in the WNIT championship game.  

The Redbirds are 19-10 overall in the WNIT since 2000 and 16-3 at home in the WNIT over that stretch. Illinois State is making its 16th appearance all-time in the WNIT and its fourth trip to the WNIT in Kristen Gillespie's tenure. The Redbirds have earned a WNIT bid for the third consecutive season.  

E FROM DEEP 

Elyce Knudsen made program history Monday night with five triples to bring her season total to 90 and set a program single-season record. That mark ranks eighth in MVC history, and she is the first player in program history to make 90+ triples in a single season. 

It marked Knudsen's fourth game this season with 5+ threes, and her third performance of 5+ triples over the last six games.  

RED-HOT REDBIRDS 

Illinois shot 57.1% (29-for-49) from the field in Monday's win over Louisiana Tech, which marks a program postseason record. The Redbirds also finished 57.1% from deep in the win, marking the third consecutive WNIT game that the Redbirds have finished better than 50% from the field and from deep.  

The Redbirds ranked 8th in DI and led the Valley shooting 47.9% from the field in the regular season and have shot better than 50% from the field in 18 games this season. 

SINGLE SEASON HISTORY  

Thursday will mark Illinois State's 37th game this season, which is the most of any team in program history.  

Shannon Dowell, Nevaeh Thomas, Addison Martin, Trista Fayta, Maya Wong and Doneelah Washington are all expected to make their 37th appearance this year, which will set school record for games played in a single season. Martin and Wong are expected to make their 37th start of the season, which will set a program record for starts in a single season.  

RARE REDBIRD COMPANY 

Shannon Dowell's 932 career points are the second-most for a Redbird before the end of their sophomore campaign. Monday she surpassed Hall of famer Kristi Cirone, the program's all-time scoring leader, and her mark of 930 points before the end of her sophomore campaign 

WBB hall of famer Cathy Boswell scored a combined 1,184 points in her freshman and sophomore campaigns.  

25+ WINS 

Illinois State's 24 wins this season tie the 2022-23 squad for the most in a single season under head coach Kristen Gillespie.  

With a win Wednesday the Redbirds can become just the fifth team in program history to secure 25+ wins in a single season. It would mark the first time since a 28-win campaign in 2009-10 that Illinois State has secured 25+ wins in a season. Illinois State also secured 25+ wins in 1980-81 (28), 2007-08 (26), 2008-09 (27).  

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