McLean County Times

Illinois State University's women's basketball team will host the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) Second Round on Sunday at CEFCU Arena. The Redbirds are set to face the winner of the First-Round game between Western Illinois and Lipscomb, scheduled for Thursday in Macomb, Illinois.

This event marks the second consecutive year that Illinois State will host postseason basketball at CEFCU Arena. Last season, a home victory over Charleston advanced the Redbirds to the 2024 WNIT Super 16. Tickets for the upcoming game are available at goredbirds.com/tickets, priced at $12 for the general public and $7 for students and youth.

The Redbirds have secured their fifth straight postseason bid, which includes participation in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. This is Illinois State's 16th appearance in the WNIT overall and their fourth under Coach Gillespie's leadership. The team has received a WNIT bid for three consecutive seasons and holds a record of 16-10 in the tournament since 2000, with a strong home performance of 13-3 during this period.

The WNIT features a field of 48 teams, including 11 automatic qualifiers and 37 at-large selections based on various criteria evaluated by WNIT officials. Among these teams are 22 that achieved over 20 wins this season, including Illinois State with its tally of 21 victories. All games in this tournament will be hosted on campus sites, starting from March 20-22 for Round 1. The championship game is scheduled for April 5 on CBS Sports Network.

For more information on tickets and related activities, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or use the Illinois State Redbirds App.