The 2026-27 Illinois women's basketball season has arrived, and expectations are as high as they have been in quite some after the Illini advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season for the second consecutive year. And with all five starters returning, coach Shauna Green's Illini, ranked No. 23 in the preseason, enter this campaign eyeing their best finish of the millennium.

So the big question is, can Illinois make an even deeper NCAA Tournament run this time around? The quest to deliver that answer in the affirmative starts on Wednesday against Detroit Mercy.

Detroit Mercy vs. Illinois preview

Last season was a rough one for the Titans, who finished 7-24 overall and 4-16 in Horizon League play. Second-year head coach Kiefer Haffey is still trying to rebuild this program, and it's likely going to take time for him to elevate Detroit Mercy to relevance.

The Titans crushed Michigan-Dearborn 94-30 in their season opener Monday, but that isn't saying all that much, even for a Detroit Mercy team that didn't crack double-digit wins a season ago.

As for the Illini, they are a team on the rise and a potential top-four team in the Big Ten. Illinois is loaded with skills – especially shooting. Green's crew ranked second in the country in free-throw shooting percentage last season, and they Illini can really shoot it from all over the floor.

Illinois junior forward Berry Wallace led the Illini in scoring average last season (18.4 points) while adding 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

How to watch Detroit Mercy vs. Illinois

Wednesday's season opener from the State Farm Center in Champaign tips off at 6 p.m. CT. The game is available to watch via B1G+ or listen to via WDWS 93.9 FM or 1400 AM.

Illinois-Detroit Mercy will also be streamed at Fighting Illini Productions and the Varsity Network App.

Past results between Illinois and Detroit Mercy

The Illini and Titans have played each other three times in the past, and Illinois has won two of them. The most recent matchup between the two came back in 2017, when the Illini won 73-65. Previously, the schools hadn't played one another since in the early '90s:

Jan. 2, 1990: Detroit Mercy 90, Illinois 74
Dec. 29, 1992: Illinois 85, Detroit Mercy 76

Obviously, three games is a small sample size, but Illinois does have the upper hand in this one (if only because Detroit Mercy is a mid-major). Expect a double-digit win for the Illini to launch their 2026-27 season.