Back then, when Northwestern’s former coach Joe McKeown prioritized student-athlete recruits over the transfer portal throughout his tenure, Veronica Burton and Nia Coffey exemplified his philosophy as two of his best recruits, both finding success with the ‘Cats at different points in the program’s history.
But times have changed. The transfer portal has become essential in today’s NIL era, and many schools have taken significant leaps through strategic portal additions. There’s no reason for Northwestern
to overlook it again. Fortunately, new head coach Carla Berube has stressed her first priority is the transfer portal. At Princeton, Berube proved she could find and develop elite talent within the constraints of high academic standards — a skill that translates perfectly to Northwestern.
Here’s a look at whom Northwestern should target in the portal.
Sophie Burrows (Syracuse)
A sharpshooter with exceptional academic performance, Burrows was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Kay Yow Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2026. While her three-point percentage dropped from 39.6% as a sophomore to 30.1% this year, her usage rate increased as she helped the Orange clinch an NCAA Tournament berth and advance to the second round.
At 6-foot-3, Burrow can play wing and crash the boards, averaging a career-high 5.8 rebounds this season. Northwestern could take a calculated gamble on whether she could find the shooting consistency with the ‘Cats while providing versatility and size on the perimeter.
Gracie Merkle (Penn State)
The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 19.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks this season, ranking seventh in the Big Ten in rebounding. Notably elite on the offensive glass (second in the conference), Merkle dominates the paint with her ability to box out, attack the rim with agility and finish through contact using her physical advantage.
She draws contact frequently, though her free-throw shooting needs improvement. Still, Merkle represents the type of interior presence Northwestern desperately needs after losing Grace Sullivan and Tayla Thomas.
Emely Rodriguez (Iowa)
A Big Ten player Berube should pursue, Rodriguez is a 6-foot wing and versatile swing player who combines offensive threat with defensive pressure. She brings elite aggression on both ends. Before transferring to Iowa, she scored 11.9 points and grabbed 5.3 rebounds while shooting 33.3% from three as a freshman at UCF. She also stood out with 1.4 steals per game.
Though she played only six games with the Hawkeyes due to a back injury this year, her ability to create shots and attack aggressively off the dribble is something Northwestern’s backcourt lacked last season.
Ayanna-Sarai Darrington (Central Michigan)
The 6-foot-2 sophomore forward averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds this season. While landing top Power Five talent is difficult, Darrington might be the most realistic pickup Northwestern can secure outside those conferences.
Darrington could fit seamlessly into Berube’s system, which emphasizes a disciplined style with all five players involved in scoring and passing. Her balanced offensive and defensive contributions make her an ideal role player for Northwestern’s rebuild.
Madison St. Rose (Princeton)
Like Merkle, St. Rose could be a difficult target, but potentially the biggest steal for the ‘Cats. St. Rose — the only player from Berube’s former school in the portal — has one year of eligibility remaining as she can’t redshirt in the Ivy League. Given her relationship with Berube, bringing her to Northwestern would be a massive boost to this struggling program.
However, it’s a long shot. After a torn ACL that ruled her out for the majority of her junior season, St. Rose averaged 15.8 points while shooting 47.9% from the field this season and was recently considered one of the top-20 transfer recruits by ESPN’s Charlie Creme. Such talent will receive better deals from other national contenders, but the Berube connection provides Northwestern a chance.
Overall, the team needs to promote another main scorer after Sullivan, and St. Rose would be a perfect fit if Northwestern can pull it off.
The Bottom Line
With more than 1,300 players hitting the portal, which will close on April 20, Berube and her team will need to read the trend and capitalize. With reportedly $1 million in support from the program, expect the new head coach to target not just promising players, but specifically address what the current roster lacks.
