Green Street: Recruiting in Alaska

Welcome to "Green Street," your dose of women's college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Joe Vozzelli. He'll offer up insight on Shauna Green's Illini team and the women's game at large every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Layla Hays received her offer from Illinois just over a year ago. And the Illini landed in the top eight for the 6-foot-5 center with Iowa, Nebraska, Duke, Indiana, Gonzaga, Washington and North Carolina joining Illinois among the finalists to add the four-star recruit ranked No. 63 overall by ESPN's HoopGurlz in the Class of 2025.

The past 12 months have seen Hays' recruitment blow up with the Wasilla, Alaska, native completing an impressive junior year. Hays, who averaged 16.2 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots last season for Wasilla, helped the Warriors win an ASAA Class 4A state championship despite playing through the postseason with a broken foot. In three games at the state tournament, Hays delivered a combined 25 points, 33 rebounds and 10 blocks.

That success drew the attention of USA basketball, as Hays was selected to the U18 Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo. Hays was the only Alaskan among the 26 players nationally to get an invitation to the five-day tryout in late May.

Hays ultimately had to leave the Team USA tryout early "in the best interest of my future" as the center was "not fully healed" from her foot injury.

Still, Hays showed she's one of the top post talents in the 2025 class, and the Illini will hope to add yet more size to their roster for the 2025-26 season. This offseason, Illinois brought in 6-7 center Lety Vasconcelos from Baylor, who is a sophomore this season, along with 6-6 freshman Hayven Smith from Lincoln-Way East and 6-3 freshman forward Irene Noya Catoira out of Spain.