Rewinding to last season, Northwestern women’s basketball limped to a 9-18 overall record and a dismal 2-16 mark in Big Ten play, finishing 17th out of 18 teams. As head coach Joe McKeown enters his farewell
season, the program faces a critical juncture. The offseason brought roster changes through the transfer portal and recruiting, adding Tate Lash (Furman), DaiJa Turner (TCU) and former Northwestern lacrosse All-American Sammy White, just to name a few. But can these additions reverse the ‘Cats’ struggles in years, or will they remain mired at the bottom of an increasingly competitive Big Ten?
The Floor: Another Year at the Bottom
The reality is that Northwestern’s floor looks a lot like it did last season. The ‘Cats have won just eight conference games over the past three years while losing 48, with 33 of those losses coming by double digits. Northwestern ranked 148th nationally according to HerHoopStats last season, placing it among the worst Division-I programs in the country.
Without any promising landing from the recruit this offseason, there’s nothing that shows the Wildcats would suddenly surge. Northwestern lost its top three scorers—Caileigh Walsh (12.4 PPG), Taylor Williams (11.7 PPG) and Melannie Daley (11.7 PPG)—leaving huge holes in production. While the transfers bring experience, they also come with some serious question marks.
Tate Lash had a rough shooting season at Furman. Despite averaging 12.5 points and 3.7 assists, she shot just 27.1% from three-point range. That’s a major problem for a Northwestern team that already had the worst three-point shooting in the Big Ten at 28.6%.
DaiJa Turner showed promise in high school, but hasn’t produced much in college. She played just 17 minutes across nine games last season at TCU while recovering from an ankle injury. Her career high is seven points, and she’s made only nine of 24 free throws in her career.
Sammy White is a great athlete from lacrosse, but she hasn’t played competitive basketball since high school. And standing at just 5’6″, the jump to Big Ten basketball is a big unknown. The first-year newcomers, while talented, probably won’t have an immediate impact against elite teams like those in the conference.
Without a proven scorer or rebounder to fill Walsh and Williams’ void, the ‘Cats could easily end up with another two or three-win conference season.
The Ceiling: Big Ten Tournament Berth
It’s challenging to predict significant improvement for a program that has been performing this poorly. Three straight years of struggles make it tough to be optimistic. Yet if we’re evaluating Northwestern’s ceiling realistically, a Big Ten Tournament berth should be a reasonable jump to make.
Making the tournament means finishing in the top 15 of 18 teams, which normally requires at least five or six conference wins. That’s a big jump from last season’s two victories, but it’s entirely possible if things go right.
The foundation starts with returning players who know McKeown’s system well. Senior guard Caroline Lau led the Big Ten with six assists per game despite her shooting struggles. Her vision as a ball-handler creates opportunities for the offense in any given possession down the court. Casey Harter returns as the team’s minutes leader, while Grace Sullivan shot over 50% from the field and will now start full-time in the frontcourt.
Despite underwhelming shooting from deep, Lash posted up her career-high field-goal percentage (39.3%) last season with the Paladins. If she can get back to her 2021-22 form—when she scored 12.9 points and shot 37.3% from three per average—she could provide the scoring Northwestern needs. Her ability to create her own shot would give the ‘Cats a strong scoring option they have been eager for this year.
Turner has high upside if she stays healthy. Her rebounding could help Northwestern maintain its intermediate rebounding level in the conference and capitalize on second-chance opportunities. If the redshirt senior can grab six to eight rebounds per game and block shots, she could completely change the defensive outlook for NU.
Sandra Moreno and Amparo López’s international experience (both played in Spain) might help them adjust faster to the college game as freshmen. White’s athleticism and competitive background from championship lacrosse could also bring some much-needed defensive energy.
The key is to improve upon the team’s biggest weaknesses. If Northwestern can improve in areas such as three-point shooting and late-game finishing, things could very easily change. McKeown’s final season will give players extra motivation to send their coach out on a positive note.
A 5-13 or 6-12 conference record would get them into the tournament. Although it still isn’t at the competitive level NU was just a few years ago, it would show some real progress. Northwestern might not compete further for the Big Ten Tournament, but in McKeown’s farewell season, reaching the Big Ten Tournament is an attainable goal that would show the program is moving in the right direction.
