CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Shauna Green has a pattern of reconnecting with players through the transfer portal whenever Illinois narrowly misses out on recruiting them during their high school careers.

This strategy worked with Genesis Bryant, who eventually settled at Illinois after initially starting at NC State. More recently, Peoria’s own Aaliyah Guyton decided to leave Iowa and transfer to Illinois after originally choosing the Hawkeyes in high school.

But this does not seem to be the case with Maddie Webber, a transfer from Villanova. Webber chose Villanova over UMass when she committed in August 2022 before her final year of high school.

Despite Illinois not being heavily involved in her recruitment as a prospect, Illini head women’s basketball coach quickly fell in love with what she saw on film when Webber entered the portal.

“[As] soon as I started watching her – her clips – I’m like ‘I love this kid.'” Green said. “And then I talked to her and I told our staff, like ‘We need her.'”

Green was somewhat familiar with Webber, a 5-foot-11 guard, from watching Villanova film ahead of the 2023 WBIT Championship game.

“We needed another wing, really,” Green said. “We needed scoring, but we needed size.”

Besides size, Webber checks at least two other boxes for Illinois. She brings two years of college basketball experience, while also having two years of eligibility remaining.

“I liked her because she can score, she has great length and she came from a system you need a high basketball IQ,” Green said. “She can score at all three levels… She’s been great, she has an elite motor. Someone that just never takes a play off. She [has] continued to be really, really coachable… She’s been really fun to watch.”

Webber averaged 13.3 points per game for Villanova as a sophomore.