BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 16th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team closes out a homestand with a midweek clash with Millikin University Wednesday night, Jan. 14, inside the Shirk Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
    The Titans bolstered their record to 10-4 overall and 5-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a convincing win over North Park University, Jan. 10. Millikin travels up US-51 with eyes on improving on its 6-9 record and 1-5 league standing. The Big Blue have dropped three in-a-row, most recently faltering at Carroll University, 82-64, Jan. 10, in Waukesha, Wis.
    Matt Sosler and Brittany Carper will have the call on the live stream, while live stats will also be provided. Links can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

HONORING THE CHAMPS: At halftime of  Wednesday's bout, Illinois Wesleyan will recognize the 2025 IWU women's golf team. This past fall, the Titans put five on the All-CCIW team en route to winning the program's 20th conference championship.

GIVE & TAKE: Through 14 games, Sawyer White has thrived as a facilitator while also feasting on opposing ball handlers. White has dished out 68 assists on the year, a number that ranks 14th across Division III. On the other end of the floor, White has swiped a CCIW-best 49 steals. Her thefts are 17th-most nationally.
White's exceptional all-around play puts her in limited company as one of four Division III women's basketball players nationally to rank in the top-20 in both assists and steals. She joins Brookyln's Brianna Johnson (steals -6th & assists 3rd), Penn-State Abington's Amina Reed (steals - 11th & assists - 6th), and Penn College's Breana Valentine (steals - 14th & assists - 11th).

POINTS FOR 14, ALEX: Illinois Wesleyan's lopsided 77-39 win over North Park, Jan. 10, included point contributions from 14 different Titans. Caitlin Leyden led the way with a game-high 16 points, while Sawyer White totaled 11 points. Additionally, Leah Palmer put up a career-high nine points and Lucy Hynes scored the first points of her career. IWU's 14 scorers marked the first time 10-or-more players have scored in a game since 14 did so in Illinois Wesleyan's NCAA tournament opening round win over Centre (95-57) March 7, 2025.

(N)O (P)OINTS FOR (U): The Titans put together a dominant defensive performance in a 77-39 win over North Park, Jan. 10. Illinois Wesleyan's 39 points allowed in the win were the fewest by a Titan opponent in a game since limiting Concordia-Wisconsin to 38 points Nov. 11, 2022. Additionally, it marked the 18th time since 1977-78 that IWU has held an opponent below 40 points.

PALMER PUTTING IT TOGETHER: In her fourth game donning the Green and White, Leah Palmer seemingly found her footing. The redshirt freshman that transferred from Division II Lewis at the semester, posted a near double-double in IWU's win over North Park, Jan. 10. Palmer scored nine points and pulled down seven rebounds, both career-highs, with one block and a steal.

MATCHIN' UP WITH MILLIKIN: Wednesday's matchup will mark the 109th edition of the Illinois Wesleyan-Millikin rivalry, a series that dates back to the 1972-73 season. IWU held off MU in the initial meeting, 38-33, and won the first four games between the two conference foes. Overall, Millikin owns a 59-50 edge in the all-time series. However, IWU is 39-24 against MU under the direction of Mia Smith.
    The Titans' five-game skid against the Big Blue was snapped last season as IWU topped MU three times in 2024-25. Illinois Wesleyan downed Millikin, 81-60, in Decatur, Ill. Jan. 22, 2025 before completing the regular season sweep, 83-52, on senior day in Shirk Feb. 15, 2025. The Green and White ended the Big Blue's season, 89-62, in the CCIW Tournament semis Feb. 28. Ava Bardic went for 23 points, while Kate Palmer tossed in 22. Lauren Huber posted a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double to oust MU from the postseason and send IWU to the league's title game.

NOBODY HAS WON MORE: In her 28-year career at the helm of Illinois Wesleyan women's hoops, Mia Smith has won more CCIW games than any women's basketball coach in league history. Smith notched the 296th CCIW win of her career with Illinois Wesleyan's 85-52 win over Carroll, Jan. 3, taking sole possession of the top spot in conference history.
    With 297 wins to 95 losses in conference contests, Smith surpassed Millikin's Lori Kerans (295) for the title of all-time winningest coach in CCIW history with Illinois Wesleyan's 85-52 win over No. 14 Carroll, Jan. 3.
    Overall, Kerans holds the all-time record for wins with 556 in her 32-year career, as Smith lurks close behind with 535.

HOME COOKING: One of the greatest venues in NCAA Division III, the Shirk Center has been home to more than 750 Titan basketball games between the men and women. In its 30-year history, the women have won 278 of 364 of its home games, good for a .764 win percentage.

SHE TOOK IT: Senior Sawyer White snatched her 297th career steal six minutes into Illinois Wesleyan's game against Wisconsin Lutheran, Dec. 29, breaking the program's all-time steals record. White overtook the top spot on the all-time list as she surpassed Rebekah Ehresman, who accrued 296 during her outstanding career as a Titan from 2014-2018. This season, White has amassed 49 thefts, good for 17th-most in Division III this season as of Jan. 13.
    In the CCIW, White sits 93 steals behind Millikin's Jennifer Falbe, who had 404 takeaways in her career as a Big Blue from 1996-2000. In White's sophomore season, she set a single season steals record with 112, which ranks second all-time in a single season in league history.
    Moreover, White's 311 career thefts ranked eighth-most among active women's basketball players across Division I, II, and III. She has the second-most steals to her name of any current NCAA Division III student-athlete, trailing only Hunter's Alexa Charles.

POLLING PLACE: Illinois Wesleyan remains in the national polls midway through the season. The Titans are 16th in the D3hoops.com Top-25 and No. 18 in the WBCA poll.
    IWU is one of two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin teams featured in both polls, as  Carroll is 20th in the D3hoops rankings and tied 23rd in the WBCA poll.

THE 55TH YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan is in its 55th year of women's basketball and has compiled a 768-512 overall record. IWU's .600 all-time win percentage includes a 368-204 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

ON THE HORIZON: The Green and White hits the road for a conference contest at Wheaton College Saturday, Jan. 17. The Titans and Thunder will tip at 5 p.m. in King Arena, with the IWU men's basketball team to follow at 7:15 p.m.