We are less than 5 weeks away from the tip-off of the new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Illinois JR F Berry Wallace, who talked about being a great shooter and her expectations for this season.
In 2024 you were named a McDonald’s All American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Mikayla Blakes/Joyce Edwards/Sarah Strong/other)? I would say I was most impressed with Sarah. There is no part of the game that she cannot do. She can shoot, dribble, and is a very good passer. I was most impressed by her, and it was fun to play with her.
Last year at Illinois you scored 18.4 PPG and were named unanimous 1st-Team All-Conference: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was an honor to be named unanimous First-Team All-Conference. I think my coaches put me in a really good position, and my teammates did a great job working with me all year and putting me in positions to be able to score a lot. It was awesome to receive that honor during my sophomore year, and I am excited to see how the next few years go.
You were also named Academic All-Conference: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? We have a lot of help on campus, which has been great. It has helped me be able to succeed on both sides. Taking care of my work in the classroom first is the most important thing, and our coaches really emphasize that. I think that has helped me as well. All the resources on campus help me stay organized and get everything done.
Your 39.8 3P% in 2025 was 3rd-best by a freshman in school history, and your 86.5 FT% last year was 8th-best in school history: what is the secret to being a great shooter? Just getting a lot of reps in. Practicing game shots, working on your free throws while you are tired, and shooting while you are tired are all important. Whether that is after practice or getting extra shots in, continuing to shoot after you are tired is the biggest thing. I also think it is important to practice proper form. My dad taught me how to shoot, so shout-out to him because he is a big part of the secret.
You were 1 of 12 teams in the Big 10 who made the NCAA tourney last year: where do you think your league ranks among the best in the nation? I think the Big Ten is the best league in the country. Just having so many good teams, and with 12 teams making the tournament, I think that speaks for itself. It is awesome to get to play in the Big Ten: it has always been my dream to be in this conference so I am very excited that I am here.
You won a game in the NCAA tourney during each of your 1st 2 seasons: what is the key to winning games in March? I think the key to winning games in March is just locking in on each game. Obviously, it is one game at a time. If you lose then you go home, so really locking in is important. We do that all season, but it is about pushing past your limits when it gets to March. There is nothing like winning games in March. I think remembering that and remembering all the work you have put in all year is super-important and will help you get past some of those great teams.
Your team returns each of its top-5 scorers from last season in addition to yourself (Gretchen Dolan/Destiny Jackson/Cearah Parchment/Maddie Webber): how much of an advantage is it in the transfer-portal era to have so much experience on your roster? I think it is a great advantage that we have our top-five scorers from last year returning. With the transfer portal, it is easy for people to just leave their school, so I think it is awesome that all five of us stayed. Having this experience together is awesome. Last year, we were a younger team, but this year we are going to come back with more experience and continue to build more chemistry together, which I think other schools might not have. I am very excited to go out with these girls and continue to go through things together, face adversity, and build more chemistry.
Your 8 athletic siblings include Bexley (played basketball at Penn State/Kent State), Evan (did track and field at Ohio State), and Garner (who plays football at Northwestern): who is the best athlete in the family, and who do your siblings cheer for when you face 1 of their alma maters in conference play? Obviously, me! My siblings did a lot of great things. My brother Garner played four sports in high school, and is super-athletic…but I think I could still beat him one-on-one. When we play their alma maters in conference play, they cheer for their own schools, but they really want me to win because they come out there to support me in whatever way they can. My brother went to Northwestern, which is our rival, and he would come to our games. We are Illinois, so they are always rooting for me, and I did the same for them when I went to their own games.
You turned 21 last summer: what did you do for the big day? I went home and spent time with my family. I had a bunch of friends over, did a big cookout, and just hung out with my family and friends, which was awesome.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My goal for this season is to continue to go far in March and make it further than we did during the past two years. I want to make it out of the first weekend and go further in the tournament. I think my expectations are for us to continue getting closer as a team, build more chemistry, and just have a lot of fun. I am super-excited.
