When sophomore guard Xamiya Walton first arrived on campus, she had already put together a well-decorated high school career. At Butler College Prep in Chicago, she became the state’s top-ranked player of the 2024 class, had been named an AP All-State honoree three times and holds the IHSA record for three-pointers made in a game with 15 (!!). But when she got to Evanston, those credentials mostly stayed hidden. In 27 appearances in the 2024-25 season, she averaged just 1.7 points in 8.6 minutes
and was never able to enter the starting lineup.
Walton’s sophomore season was something else entirely. In 29 games, she started 18 times and jumped all the way up to 29 minutes per game while also leading the Wildcats in both three-pointers made and efficiency, hitting 43 shots from beyond the arc at a 38.7% clip. That shotmaking was a necessity, as the Wildcats this past season struggled to generate much of any offense, especially from three-point range, where they shot just 30.6% as a team, the second-worst mark in the Big Ten. And in that void, it didn’t take long for her to step up.
The Emergence
Entering the season, Walton was ready to set the tone early and establish her role on the team. In the season opener where Northwestern was up against the ropes by IU Indy, Walton knocked down a key triple late in the 67-64 victory that topped off a 17-point outing on an efficient 6-for-12 shooting. Despite it coming against a team that the Wildcats were heavily favored over (ESPN gave Northwestern a 95.3% chance of winning the game at tipoff), it was a sign of a player who was ready and able to take on a larger role, despite it being another month before McKeown gave her the first start of her collegiate career.
But when that opportunity did arrive, Walton showed what she was capable of with real minutes. In her increased role, Walton was able to jump up to an average of 7.1 points, 1.8 assists and 1.6 rebounds and hit multiple three-pointers in 15 games. Behind that increase in production was the aforementioned 38.7% three-point rate that wasn’t only a team best, but an impactful mark that commanded respect from opponents.
The Highlight
If there was one night that showed what kind of player Walton could be, that came on Jan. 18 in Champaign, Illinois. Facing the No. 25-ranked Illini, the ‘Cats quickly fell into a 15-point deficit in the third quarter and looked like they were on their way to another disappointing finish.
But Walton would have none of it, as she helped ignite an 8-0 Northwestern run that cut the lead down to seven as the Wildcats entered the final quarter of play. That carried over to the fourth, where even with Illinois trying to push back on their efforts, Walton responded: a layup that brought the game down to just two points, a triple to bring NU within one, and then hitting a career-high fifth three-pointer that kept the momentum in the Wildcats’ favor.
She finished the night with a career-high 19 points on an impressive 7-for-11 shooting behind those five threes. The ‘Cats would ultimately fall 74-71, but Walton’s night was one of the most complete performances of the season by a player not named Grace Sullivan, a dominant showing that short of an upset by Northwestern.
The Inconsistencies
Like many players in catch-and-shoot roles, her one big weakness is that when her three balls aren’t falling, she has little to no way to score. Walton rarely attacks the basket or creates off the dribble, drawing just 27 free throws in 29 games. In scoreless nights against Rutgers, USC and Michigan, her offensive impact was effectively zero.
While she’s done well in that role, developing some secondary scoring, whether that be getting to the line, driving to the basket or pulling up from midrange, is the next step in her game. Until that happens, defenses will be able to concede the three to her on nights when the shot doesn’t fall and take her out of the game.
What’s Next
With coach Carla Berube now taking over the program following McKeown’s retirement, the shape of this year’s roster is still being formed via the transfer portal. Berube has already added three guards via the portal with freshmen Camdyn Nelson, sophomore Lexi Blue and sophomore Lily Carmody in addition to freshman forward Jasmyn Cooper while sophomore forward Tayla Thomas, one of the best rebounders in the country, has found her new home in Minnesota.
With all that change happening in just one offseason, a returning player like Walton sets her up as a key piece to the Wildcats’ success in Berube’s inaugural season. Her shooting ability was never in question coming into college, but whether it would translate is something that the 2025-26 season answered. Leading the team in threes, the Illinois eruption, the 18 starts: that’s no longer the ceiling. It’s the baseline.
