ISU Women’s Basketball remains unbeaten at home, defeating winless Valparaiso
Written by Nicholas Thompson on January 16, 2026
Image courtesy of Illinois State Women’s Basketball social media
NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State women’s basketball was back in action Thursday night, hosting the Valparaiso Beacons in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Redbirds came out on top 93-74.
The Redbirds showed up ready to play, with four players scoring in double figures. Sophomore forward Doneelah Washington led the way for Illinois State, pouring in a team-high 29 points in just 22 minutes of action while shooting an efficient 12-of-18 from the field.
Senior forward Addison Martin was the next leading scorer for the Redbirds, finishing with 18 points on just nine shot attempts, going 7-of-9 from the floor.
Sophomore point guard Trista Fayta also reached double figures, adding 14 points, while freshman guard Jaeden Pratt chipped in 10 points. Four of the five Redbird starters finished the night scoring in double figures.
It was a total team effort for the Redbirds in this one, but the player who stole the show was point guard Trista Fayta. Fayta recorded a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 28 minutes of play.
Fayta became the first Redbird to record a triple-double in 34 years, with the last coming from Tami Baalke, who posted 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against Western Illinois on Feb. 22, 1991. Fayta is the only player in the MVC this season with a triple double.
Illinois State continued to dominate offensively, shooting 76.5 percent from the field in the second quarter, marking the Redbirds’ highest field-goal percentage in a single quarter this season. The win extended Illinois State’s streak to three straight victories and nine consecutive wins over Valparaiso. At home this season, the Redbirds have been nearly unbeatable, improving to 9–0, the best home start in the Kristen Gillespie era.
The win over Valparaiso improved Illinois State’s record to 10–8 overall and 4–3 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Redbirds remain unbeaten on their home court. As for the Beacons this loss dropped them to 0–18 on the season and 0–7 in conference action.
Illinois State will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 22, hitting the road to Chicago for a Missouri Valley Conference matchup against UIC. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
For all things Redbird women’s basketball, be sure to stay tuned to wznd.com.
