Champaign, IL (CHAMBANA TODAY) – For the second time in her Illini career, Illinois women’s basketball graduate Kendall Bostic was named a Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winner on Thursday.

Bostic, a native of Kokomo, Indiana earned the recognition after her junior and fifth-year seasons under head coach Shauna Green.

Bostic, who started her collegiate career at Michigan State, was a letterwinner for all four of her seasons in Champaign from 2021-25. She was at the center of the program’s resurgence, which included two NCAA Tournaments and he 2024 WBIT Championship. Bostic led the Big Ten in rebounds per game in each of her four seasons in Champaign, and ended her career as the program’s all-time rebounds and double-doubles leaders as well. She started all 125 possible games during her Illinois career.

Bostic earned her bachelor’s degree from Illinois in speech and hearing sciences in May 2023 and a master’s degree in special education in May 2025.

In the 2024-25 season, Bostic had a busy schedule, teaching at Dr. Howard Elementary School in Champaign from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., then heading back home to work on a graduate research project.

Read more about Bostic’s story of balancing graduate school, teaching, and basketball here.

Bostic, now the Assistant Director of Development, Varsity I, within the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, Bostic joins Illinois football alum Nathan Scheelhaase as the only two Fighting Illini to earn the honor twice.