Green Street 2026-27 player profiles -- Lety Vasconcelos
· Yahoo Sports
Jul. 8—The 2026-27 roster is all but set for Shauna Green's Illinois women's basketball program. So, over the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at each of the 14 players on Green's fifth Illini team.
Lety Vasconcelos
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35
C
R-Jr.
6-foot-7
Miguel Calmon, Bahia, Brazil
What Illinois got from Vasconcelos was a first full season of being healthy. That was significant after the center missed the 2024-25 season with a torn ACL that happened during summer workouts. Then, Vasconcelos had to go back under the knife the following summer to clean a few things up in her knee. That put Vasconcelos behind her teammates entering her redshirt sophomore season with the Illini. Still, Vasconcelos showed glimpses of the rim protector and post presence Illinois coach thinks the former highly-touted recruit can ultimately become. Vasconcelos produced 3.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game while averaging 12.2 minutes and shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 71.4 percent at the free-throw line.
➜ Now a 21-year-old veteran with three college seasons of experience (including one year at Baylor and two at Illinois, albeit with that one season still lost due to injury), Vasconcelos should really see her game take a major step forward. What that looks like remains to be determined, but Green and Co. could afford more consistency from Vasconcelos. The physical tools are there for Vasconcelos as the tallest player in the history of the Illini women's basketball program at 6-foot-7. Vasconcelos could face more competition for minutes this season, however. Illinois got deeper in the frontcourt in adding 6-4 Bosnian center this offseason and also by having 6-3 forward as a potential key piece in the Illini rotation after she missing her freshman year at Illinois with a knee injury of her own.