Even after a national championship, it’s never too early to look toward the future.
Northwestern women’s lacrosse is set up for success in 2027 and beyond, but the program’s future looks somewhat murky following its ninth national title. Madison Taylor and Jenika Cuocco — the two centerpieces of the Wildcats’ 2026 title chase — highlight the departing names, leaving the ‘Cats with big shoes to fill.
In response, Wildcat coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has been hard at work this offseason, already securing
commitments from Cincinnati attacker Paige Selhorn and Bucknell attacker Caleigh Cummiskey. Last season, Selhorn racked up 47 goals and 43 assists in her sophomore year with the Bearcats, while Cummiskey piled up 49 goals and 17 assists while starting all 17 games for the Bison in her first-year campaign.
Both of these additions should bolster NU’s attacking depth for next year, but there’s little reason to think the Wildcats should stop there. Let’s take a look at five additional portal acquisitions that Amonte Hiller should consider pursuing.
Jess Leon (D, Bucknell)
The Wildcats put up great defensive performances in 2026, and their leaders, Mary Carroll and Mckenzie Brown, are both slated to return for their junior and sophomore seasons, respectively. Leon — a teammate of Cummiskey in 2026 — could be a great graduate transfer addition to provide more depth, as she dominated with the Bison over her last two seasons.
A former field hockey player, Leon switched to lacrosse in 2025 and immediately became a core defensive piece for Bucknell, putting up a combined 94 ground balls and 69 caused turnovers in 33 starts over her past two seasons. She plays with the type of relentlessness that can wreak havoc against top offenses, allowing her to play defensively while also potentially slotting into the hybrid midfielder role that the departing Annabel Child held during 2026.
Although the addition of Leon might put Amonte Hiller’s starting lineups into flux, she would give the Wildcats incredible depth on the defensive side of the ball. Her skill set only supports the development of a younger budding star in Brown, and her presence could easily replace the void left by departing senior defender Kathryn Welch, who saw 15 games of action in 2026.
Cecelia Messner (M, Columbia)
A graduate transfer from Columbia, Messner is one of the best all-around midfielders remaining in the transfer portal. She did a little bit of everything for the Lions in 2026, putting up 30 goals, 33 assists, 14 ground balls, eight caused turnovers and 25 draw controls.
A four-year regular with 58 starts under her belt, Messner apparently still has a year of eligibility left, according to Lax Extras and Inside Lacrosse. If she is indeed able to play in 2027, she would be a priority add for any contending team given her wealth of experience.
A hypothetical addition of Messner would benefit the Wildcats tremendously. The ‘Cats could use additional midfield experience to replace the impact of Child and Messner — who spent plenty of time around the fan in 2026 — and could be yet another secondary scorer to add to a roster that will need to find a balanced scoring attack after Taylor’s exit.
Emily Knapp (A, UMBC)
Time and time again in 2026, the Wildcats showed off incredible depth at the attacker position, proving how a team can never have too many reliable scorers. The ‘Cats have already added two of the best attackers in the portal, but if they choose to take another dip into that pool, Knapp is easily the best option remaining.
Knapp scored 49 goals in 2026 after racking up 47 tallies in 2025, and in her 31 combined starts, she showed off the consistency necessary to make an impact in the Big Ten. As an incoming redshirt junior, she has two years of eligibility left, potentially making her a viable addition for the long-term as well.
Ginger Fishberg (D, Butler)
Fishberg played for an abysmal 3-13 Butler squad during her first-year campaign in 2026, but she performed well in 16 starts, piling up 31 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Unlike the aforementioned names, Fishberg has three years of eligibility remaining, making her an intriguing potential add for the Wildcats.
Fishberg has the positional flexibility to slot in as a defender or midfielder, an attribute that could benefit Amonte Hiller in 2027 and beyond. Although Fishberg’s playing time could be somewhat limited given NU’s returning star power, her addition could still be a smart move to boost the Wildcats’ future development of young talent.
Mel Josephson (G, UVA)
Unlike last season, Northwestern will not have an opportunity to bring in a truly dominant goalkeeper from the portal, as no goalies available can rival the legacy Jenika Cuocco brought to Evanston from Drexel. Thus, the Wildcats’ best option in the cage will likely be graduate student Francesca Argentieri, an experienced backup who has bided her time over the past two seasons behind the likes of Cuocco and then-Syracuse transfer Delaney Sweitzer in 2025.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Wildcats shouldn’t bring in additional competition. Josephson — who spent her last four seasons at Virginia — is a graduate transfer with 41 starts in her career. She posted a .445 save percentage with UVA in 2024 and a .409 save percentage in 2025 before seeing just five games of action in 2026.
Josephson’s numbers aren’t jaw-dropping by any means, but with the Cavaliers she accumulated valuable playing time in a tough ACC with many formidable opponents. That experience would make her a valuable asset in purple, regardless of whether or not she would ultimately start in goal for the ‘Cats.
