Northwestern women’s basketball roster preview

With a majority of the college basketball transfer activity wrapped up, Head Coach Carla Berube basically has her first Northwestern roster for the ‘26-27 season.

Over the course of the offseason, Northwestern lost four of its six main rotation players from last year’s team, with Grace Sullivan, Caroline Lau and Tate Lash graduating, and Tayla Thomas transferring to Minnesota.

NU replenished its depth with four new transfers, but many questions remain unanswered. Using the players of Berube’s 26-4 Princeton Tigers roster of last year as examples, here’s what Northwestern’s rotation might look like next season.

Starters

Point Guard: Xamiya Walton, 5-foot-7 junior (7.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, for Northwestern in ‘25-26)

Walton was an important piece of last year’s Wildcat team, averaging over 29 minutes per game and serving as the primary backup guard. She’s an instinctual scorer and provided essential spacing last season, shooting a team-high 38.7% from three.

All signs point to the rising junior taking another step forward in her junior season, which would mean taking over as Northwestern’s lead ballhander. Walton’s player type on a Berube-led team is embodied by Princeton’s Skye Belker, who averaged 12.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 32.8 minutes per game last season. Those numbers seem very doable for Walton, given the expected increased workload. Belker and Walton are similar in height, and both struggle at times on defense, but they can be spark plugs offensively. Belker shot 43% from three for the Tigers, so if Walton can improve her stroke from deep, she will fit right into Berube’s plans.

Overall, Walton’s offensive potentioal should make up for her weaknesses. If she she competes on the defensive end and aggressively crashes the boards, she could be a viable leader for the ’Cats.

Shouting Guard: Lily Carmody, 5-foot-11 junior (12.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.1 APG for Boston College in ‘25-26)

Carmody was arguably Northwestern’s best addition in the portal, as she was the leading scorer for Boston College last season. As I discussed in a previous article, Carmody is a talented finisher at the rim and frequently takes advantage of smaller defenders by using her body.

If everything goes right for Carmody in Evanston, her example in the Berube system is Madison St. Rose, who led Princeton in scoring last season. There is admittedly a lot of projection in this comparison, but Carmody’s style of play is similar to the 2026 First Team All-Ivy member who averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Carmody and St. Rose both have severe limitations in shooting from beyond the arc, but both make up for it with their finishing through contact and high free-throw percentage. If Carmody can lower her turnover percentage and increase her overall shooting efficiency, there’s no reason to expect she can’t lead a winning team like St. Rose.

Carmody is a proven scorer at the high-major level; now she needs to translate her scoring numbers into more wins.

Small Forward: Casey Harter, 5-foot-11 senior (10 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.2 APG for Northwestern in ‘25-26)

Harter is the most impactful returning player for Nortwhestern following her prime season as second in scoring and the ’Cats’ main aggressor from the perimeter. The rising senior has significantly improved each year she’s been at Northwestern, so one can expect her to be a stabilizing and ceiling-raising force in her last year in purple and white.

Harter’s Princeton comparison is Ashley Chea. Chea averaged 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 32.2 minutes per game. Harter and Chea both bring a do-it-all mentality to the court and provide their teams with hustle and grit. Neither player is a game-breaking scorer or lock-down defender, but they are plus-players on both ends of the floor.

Harter’s experience and proven scoring ability may see her outdo Chea’s numbers, but expect her focus to be on being an outspoken glue-guy that does whatever it takes to win.

Power Forward: Lexi Blue, 6-foot-2 junior (2.1 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.4 APG for Kentucky in ‘25-26)

Blue is a guard/forward who gained valuable experience watching Kentucky advance to the Sweet Sixteen last season. She’s a former top-40 recruit and shot 41.1% from three in high school while averaging 13.9 points and 5.1 assists. Blue is a fluid ball-handler at 6-foot-2, a rare trait that suggests her potential is near limitless.

Blue’s Berube-style comparison is Fadima Tall. At 6-foot-1, Tall is a lengthy guard who often played the four for the Tigers. Last season, she averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 steals. It’s hard to project what Blue might look like in a larger role at the high major level, but if she returns to her high school offensive ability, Tall’s numbers don’t seem unrealistic. Blue has the size to be a prolific rebounder and the quickness to be a menace on the defensive end to opposing bigs who may be careless with the ball. Tall was an essential part of Princeton’s run to the NCAA tournament; Blue must replicate Tall’s overall impact to propel Northwestern.

Center: Jasmyn Cooper-Derba, 6-foot-1 sophomore (3.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.6 APG for Syracuse in ‘25-26)

Cooper-Derba is a more traditional frontcourt player than Blue, but still a rangy playmaker on both ends of the floor. She struggled to see any playing time at Syracuse in her first year, yet exhibited do-it-all potential in high school. Cooper-Derba is a raw prospect for Northwestern, but its need for size may force her to play immediately.

Olivia Hutcherson is the comparison here. Hutcherson averaged 11 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.8 minutes per game last season. She could not stretch the floor from deep for the Tigers, but provided the necessary size inside. To replicate Hutcherson’s numbers, Cooper-Derba would have to be incredibly efficient from the painted area and play physically down low.

Cooper-Derba doesn’t have the typical size of a Big Ten center, but Berube’s style emphasizes smaller and rangier players who force turnovers and take advantage of the opposition’s mistakes. All five of Princeton’s top-five-minute getters last season were listed as guards, so don’t be surprised to see a smaller Northwestern starting lineup next season.

Rotational Reserves

Guard: Camdyn Nelson, 5-foot-8 sophomore (1.4 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.9 APG for Syracuse in ‘25-26)

Nelson is the fourth and final Northwestern transfer and is another player seeking a larger opportunity while staying at the highest level of college basketball. At 5-foot-8, Nelson is a smaller guard, but she is a steady ballhandler and has a knack for finding teammates in the right spots.

Princeton mainly relied on its starting five last season, so there is no comparison for Nelson, but expect Berube to use her as a change-of-pace guard to give Walton and Carmody a break from on-ball duties. Nelson adds valuable reinforcement to the ‘Cats’ guard room and, with three years of eligibility left, has plentiful room to grow into an impact player.

Guard: Xyanna Walton, 6-foot first-year (Graduates from Butler College Prep in ‘26)

Xyanna Walton, the sister of Xamiya Walton, is Northwestern’s prized possession out of the high school recruiting ranks. Xyanna Walton signed to play for Joe McKeown in 2025 and decided to stay with the program despite the coaching change.

The incoming freshman is a long guard who isn’t afraid to do the dirty work on the glass, but is also an incredibly talented scorer. She’s a top-80 recruit according to On3 and averaged just under 20 points in her junior season at Butler College Prep, located about two hours from Welsh-Ryan Arena. Although Xyanna Walton likely won’t see heavy minutes to start the year, don’t be surprised if she develops into one of NU’s best players sooner than you might think; she has tremendous potential.

Forward: Kat Righeimer, 6-foot-1 junior (2.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.4 APG for Northwestern in ‘25-26)

Righeimer is an incredibly interesting bench option for Northwestern. As I wrote earlier in a breakdown of the Wildcat reserves last season, after a standout performance against USC late in the season, Righeimer saw consistent playing time over Northwestern’s final six games, scoring 18 points in a game against Penn State. Righeimer got hot late in the year and became a vital piece of the ‘Cats’ rotation.

Righeimer is one of the taller players on the roster and brings the relentless energy that coaches love to see. She likely will be the first forward off the bench and could prove to be a pivotal piece to Northwestern’s season.

F: Claire Keswick, 6-foot junior (1.8 PPG, 0.1 RPG, 0.6 APG for Northwestern in ‘25-26)

Keswick returns for her junior year after appearing in 16 games last season for the ‘Cats before seeing her season cut short due to injury. Keswick is a talented player, making six three-pointers in a single game last season, so don’t be surprised if she turns out to be an important bench player for Northwestern. Keswick’s mix of experience and shooting ability may make it hard for Berube to keep her off the court.

Forward: Sandra Moreno, 6-foot-1 sophomore (Appeared in nine games for Northwestern in ‘25-26)

Moreno’s place in the rotation has a lot to do with Northwestern’s lack of size up front. Simply put, they will need frontcourt players with length to be on the court. Moreno didn’t play much for Northwestern last season, but after a year of watching Sullivan and Thomas work, her number may be called.

Deep Reserves

Guard: Amparo López, 5-foot-9 sophomore (Appeared in 20 games for Northwestern in ‘25-26)

McKeown wasn’t afraid to put Lopez in games last season, shown by her 20 appearances, but Lopez’s size and turnover issues made her unreliable. Lopez was a proven winner in Spain throughout her high school career and flashed talent at times last season, but Northwestern’s ample guard depth will make it hard for her to find playing time.

Forward: Brooke Golden, 6-foot-3 first-year (Graduates from Tilton School in ‘26)

Golden is the second Northwestern high school recruit. She played high school basketball in New Hampshire and brings a package of size and length that should translate to the Big Ten level at some point in her career. However, Golden is a raw prospect and will need time to learn the physicality and speed of the high-major level. Don’t expect Golden to make an impact in her first year.

Forward: Rachel Mutombo, 6-foot-3 senior (Appeared in nine games for Northwestern in ‘25-26)

Mutombo is a Wildcat through and through and will enter her last season in Evanston having left a mark on the program. She is a good mentor to younger players, and her driven mentality of showing up every day exemplifies what it means to be a Northwestern athlete.

Forward: Crystal Fuqu Wang, 6-foot-2 senior (Appeared in 14 games for Northwestern in ‘25-26)

An injury suffered at the beginning of her sophomore year derailed Fuqu Wang’s development as she struggled to make the necessary leap to the high major level. Wang may provide valuable size off the bench when necessary, but it’s unlikely she sees any meaningful action next season.

Sullivan and Thomas are gone, and that may mean another season of losing. But it’s important to be patient while Berube builds her program. NU women’s basketball needs a total restructuring, and one offseason is not enough time.

The reason for hope for the ‘26-27 season is because of Berube and her proven track record. She built Princeton into a powerhouse in the Ivy League, and she brought in the pieces to do the same with Northwestern in the Big Ten. The transfer additions weren’t the sparkliest, but they play Berube’s style and may help the Wildcats win a lot more games than people expect.

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