CHAMPAIGN – At her introductory news conference in May 2007, Illinois women's basketball coach Jolette Law promised a national championship.

In the last few months, she's found six players who have her back.

Law was beaming Wednesday as she spoke of the six high school seniors who signed to play for her starting in 2009.

"It's a great day to be an Illini," Law said, as assistants Tamika Louis, Karen Middleton and Patrick Klein looked on. "Now we have some young ladies here to back up all the things I said in my press conference, of trying to take this program to national prominence."

The additions of guards Adrienne GodBold and Amber Moore and forwards Karisma Penn, Destiny Williams, Kersten Magrum and Brianna Jones give the Illini a class that's ranked second nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz and fourth by Blue Star. Those are the highest rankings accrued by a women's basketball program at Illinois.

Law's first recruiting class was pieced together after she arrived in the spring of 2007. The six who signed Wednesday – all of whom are ranked among the nation's top 150 players, according to Blue Star – bought into Law's vision of serving as builders of "a dynasty."

"This class is probably the most important class to me," Law said, referring to her previous work at Rutgers and Ball State. "I recruited for Vivian Stringer for 12 years. I recruited for Robyn Markey at Ball State for a year. I recruited those young ladies to play for other people. My staff has done a phenomenal job getting these players to play for me.

"This class, I'm going to hold it dear to my heart because it's the first class that we had the opportunity to handpick and choose and watch the kids grow and see them for an entire year. I think this class ranks No. 1 in my book."

The Illini have one scholarship available. They remain involved with Texas center Kelsey Bone, the country's top-ranked senior by Blue Star. Bone might wait to sign until the spring period. In any event, Law said, the Illini are finished with the Class of 2009.

"If that doesn't happen, I'm elated with the class that I have right now," Law said. "We won't look to sign anyone else."

The jewel is Destiny Williams, a 6-foot-3 forward from Benton Harbor, Mich., who is ranked eighth by HoopGurlz.

"She's probably the most overall talented player that the Illini have brought in since (Tauja) Catchings," Blue Star evaluator Chris Mennig said.

The addition of Bone, Mennig said, likely would vault Illinois to the No. 1 class in the country. Bone also is considering Texas A&M, South Carolina and Texas.