It seems that Lili Wilken was born to play basketball. She has always been a standout player for her team, and things are no different since joining the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Chargers women’s basketball team. Last Saturday in an overtime victory against Mississippi College, Wilken hit a career milestone by scoring her 1,000th collegiate point. Now she looks to take the Chargers to even greater heights as the 2024-25 season comes to a close.
A Nolensville, Tenn., native, Wilken starred at Page High School in Franklin for coach Ron Brock. She led the Patriots to a district tournament championship in 2020, and a district and region tournament championship in 2021. As a senior, Wilken averaged 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and performed off the court as well, winning the John Maher Builders Scholar-Athletes award in 2021-22.
“Lili is the perfect example of what a student-athlete should be,” Brock once said.
After high school, Wilken followed in her sister’s footsteps to play for Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. As a freshman, she started in 32 games and averaged 10 points in 29 minutes per game. Her best outing of the 2022-23 season came on Jan. 25, 2023 against Lake Erie when she put up 25 points and six rebounds. That same season, she recorded 15 double-digit scoring games and paced the Trojans in scoring on three occasions.
Her sophomore year, Wilken averaged 10.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. She finished in the top ten in made 3-point field goals per game and in the top 20 in total assists in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC).
Wilken recorded two 20-point performances for the Trojans in 2023-24 while starting all 31 games as a junior. On Nov. 28, 2023 against Findlay, she produced 21 points and five assists, and on Feb. 24th, 2024, she put up 26 points and five assists against Cedarville—shooting an incredible 8-for-11 from 3-point range.
As the 2024-25 season approached, however, Wilken decided to take her talents to the Gulf South Conference to play for UAH. New head coach Allen Sharpe and the rest of the Chargers were happy to welcome her, as she was promptly named to the GSC newcomer watchlist.
Wilken now leads the Chargers in total points, rebounds, field goals, free throws, and steals. She was named GSC Player of the Week for the weeks of Feb. 3 – 9 and Jan. 20 – 26. She ranks third in points and seventh in rebounds per game in the GSC.
“Lili has been a game changer for our women’s basketball program,” Allen Sharpe told Talegate. “Lili is tough, competitive, and a great teammate. More importantly, she is a great person and carries a 4.0 GPA.”
Wilken’s dominance has helped the team to a 20-4 overall record, good for second place in the GSC behind Union University. This is a complete 180 from last season, when the Chargers were 9-18 and tenth in the GSC.
Wilken has collected four games of 20 or more points this season, including two 30-point performances. On Dec. 21 against Delta State, she recorded 30 points and eight rebounds across 38 minutes. On Jan. 25 against West Florida, Wilken produced a 28-point, nine rebound effort, and on Feb. 1 against her old school, Trevecca Nazarene, she put up 23 points and nine rebounds.
But these were all precursors to Wilken’s best game of the season last Saturday against Mississippi College. Scoring a career-high 36 points, she shot 11-15 from the field and netted 10 points from the free throw line. The performance ties her for the fifth-best single game scoring performance in UAH women’s basketball history.
One thing can be sure: Wilken brings hard work, determination, and hustle every time she sets foot on the floor. And as the 2024-25 season unfolds, it will be interesting to see how far that leads. TG
Photos by Al Blanton
