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QUICK HITS
• Honorable Mention All-Big Ten• Finished 10th in the Big Ten in scoring with an average of 14.4 in conference games
• Was the Illini's third leading scorer in the regular season with a 12.4 ppg average
• Ranks 4th on Illinois' single season 3-point FG's made list with 52
• Ranks 7th on Illinois' career 3-point list with 72.
• Played on the US Junior National Team in 1999.
• Frequent guest on local radio station and did voice over for Ubben Basketball Tour and season highlight video.
AT ILLINOIS
2003 Highlights: Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Selection. • •Started 25 of 29 games for the Illini • Named one of three winners of the Illinois team "Zone Buster" award for three-point shooting, joining Tiffanie Guthrie and JerÃf© Issenamann. • Set a career high of 30 points on 11-21 shooting and 5-11 from behind the arc in Illinois upset win over Minnesota on 1/26/03. • Poured in 27 points vs. North Texas in the Fiesta Bowl Classic on 12/7/02 • Scored in double figures in 19 games • Made at least one three-pointer in 21 games, including 17 of the last 19 games.2002 Highlights: Made her first of 13 starts on Dec. 6 vs. vs. Illinois State • Grabbed four rebounds against St. Mary's • Scored a season-high 16 points, including going 7-for-8 from the floor against Penn State on Jan. 7 • Also recorded a career-high five assists against the Nittany Lions • Reached double figures in scoring four times • Had one of her top career games in the first round of the WNIT against Western Kentucky, scoring 13 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and five assists, while making two three-pointers.
2001 Highlights: Started three games vs. Connecticut, Missouri and DePaul • Was really starting to turn it on before suffering a season-ending ACL injury on Jan. 28 vs. Minnesota • In that game Yanni had seven points on 3 of 4 shooting in just five minutes of action • Became one of Illinois' top three-point threats in January. • Set an Illinois freshman record by connecting 40 percent of her three-pointers (12 of 30) for the year • Made a trey in six straight games, including making 4 for 7 treys vs. Michigan State on Jan. 14 • Had five points in her collegiate debut vs. Clemson and eight points vs. Alcorn State • Scored 12 points on six break-away lay-ups at Illinois State • Scored 14 points to lead the Illini in the Big Ten opener against Michigan • Scored season-high of 15 points in victory over Northwestern on Jan. 9 • Set a career-high of 17 points to lead the Illini to victory at Michigan State on Jan. 14.
High School
Set Harlem High School records for most points in a game (47, also conference record), points in a season (649), free throws in a season (96), rebounds in a season (321) and points in a career (1948) • Earned All-America and All-State honors in 1999-2000, while being named MVP of the Harlem Christmas Classic • Named MVP of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC-9) three years in a row •Named a Third-Team All-American by Street and Smith's •Ranked the 23rd best player in the nation by Basketball News and No. 33 by Basketball Journal •Led Harlem to the IHSA Sweet 16 in 1999 and 2000 and guided the Huskies to back-to-back conference and regional championships • Through her junior year averaged 15.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while amassing 141 blocked shots and 152 steals • High School All-American •First-Team All-State • Team MVP •Named to the WBCA All-Star Team • Led the WBCA All-American Game in scoring with 23 points •Earned a spot on the U.S. Women's Junior National Team, which won the gold medal at the qualifying tournament in Mar Del Plata, Argentina •Scored 12 points vs. Mexico in opening round win •Led the U.S. team with 23 points in a 115-26 rout of Puerto Rico • A Parade and Gatorade All-American •Named all-state as a sophomore, junior, and senior •Harlem High School Athlete of the Decade.
Personal
Born on Aug. 30, 1982, in Rockford, Ill. • Daughter of John and Henrietta Yanni, who were born and raised in Sierra Leone, West Africa • Majoring in Community Health and minoring in advertising • Member of Illinois sponsored dance tam call "Special EFX" •Has three brothers, Emile (31), who was also born in Africa, John (27), and Winston (25) • MWas Scholar Athlete all four years of high school •Enjoys reading, going to the movies, and dancing.
Nickname: "Om," Amina, most people call me Yanni
Favorite Food: Plan on taking a career path in advertising and has aspirations to continue playing professionally
Favorite TV Show: Lyricist Lounge Show, Making the Band
Favorite Musical Group: The Neptunes N.E.R.D
Favorite Movies: The Labyrinth
Meal I looked forward to growing up: Breakfast
Favorite Sports Team: Brooklyn Dodgers
Biggest Sports Thrill: Winning a championship
Famous person I have met: When I was returning from an All-American camp, I was in Atalnta airport's Burger King. Evander Holyfield was right behind me telling me to biggie size my order then walked away.
What I worked on during the off-season: Ballhandling & court awarness
I started playing the game of basketball...because I wanted to be like my brothers and did everything they did.
Top childhood memory: Going to Freetown, Sierra Leone for the first time in `92
What I like about being a Fighting Illini..Wearing Illinois across my HEART
What I like about the University of Illinois: How diverse Illinois is
What I've learned from Coach Grentz: It takes a champion to lead a champion and that leaders are made not born.
Three words to describe my play: Fast, savvy, eye-pleasing
| Year | G-GS | MIN-Avg | FGM-A/% | 3PM-A/% | FTM-A/% | REB/Avg | PF-DQ | A | TO | B | S | PTS/Avg |
| 00-01 | 20-3 | 405/20.3 | 59-135/.437 | 12-30/.400 | 20-32/.625 | 42/2.1 | 28/0 | 20 | 34 | 3 | 27 | 150/7.5 |
| 01-02 | 28-14 | 404/14.4 | 51-134/.381 | 8-40/.200 | 10-15/.667 | 40/1.4 | 16/0 | 32 | 46 | 4 | 20 | 120/4.3 |
| 02-03 | 29-25 | 783/27.0 | 130-316/.411 | 52-151/.344 | 37-54/.685 | 88/3.0 | 45/0 | 54 | 75 | 3 | 30 | 783/27.0 |
| Total | 77-42 | 1592/20.7 | 240-585/.410 | 72-221/.348 | 67-101/.663 | 88/3.0 | 89/0 | 106 | 155 | 10 | 77 | 619/8.0 |
