In 2021, former ’Cats star Veronica Burton led Northwestern women’s basketball to their first March Madness appearance in six years. At the time, this inspiring feat sparked hope among fans that the team was finally gaining positive momentum. But this hope quickly faded.

Since Burton took her talents to the WNBA in 2022, Northwestern women’s basketball has performed below average. In the last two seasons, the ’Cats won just 18 of 60 total games.

Despite adding three experienced transfers, major improvement is unlikely in the 2024-25 season. There is a central flaw in Northwestern’s strategy: they rely too heavily on the performance of a single standout player. Since Burton graduated, this important piece of the puzzle has been missing.

Performance patterns

When head coach Joe McKeown first started his tenure at Northwestern in 2008, future Northwestern Athletics Hall-of-Famer Amy Jaeschke was beginning her second year on the team. The team posted a losing record during McKeown’s first season— though that is to be expected when a coaching change occurs.

In the 2009-10 season, the ’Cats saw their first winning season in 13 years. The following year, Jaeschke led the team with 21.4 points-per-game to a second winning season before being drafted by the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.

After Jaeschke’s departure, the ’Cats did not have another winning record. That is, until McKeown’s second superstar, Nia Coffey, entered the scene four years later. During Coffey’s tenure as a dominant forward, the ’Cats had four winning seasons and a trip to the NCAA tournament as a seven-seed. Once again, Coffey’s departure in 2017 to join the WNBA was followed by a losing season for the ’Cats.

The pattern became crystal clear after Burton’s 2018-22 tenure. Once again, the presence of a superstar coincided with four winning seasons and another trip to NCAAW March Madness.

You already know what happened next…

It is concerning that the ’Cats can’t seem to muster a winning team unless they have a standout superstar, especially since other B1G schools have found success without one. Take Michigan State women’s basketball, for example. They lost superstar Nia Clouden to the WNBA after the 2021-22 season, but they posted winning records in the following two seasons.

Neither Michigan State nor Northwestern had top-ranked players during either season, but Michigan State was ranked ninth and fourth in the B1G while Northwestern was ranked 14th (last) and 13th, respectively. Michigan State also made an appearance at the NCAAW Tournament to wrap up their 2023-24 season.

McKeown’s missing piece

Northwestern’s excessive reliance on a single superstar seems to be the fault of McKeown’s coaching style. This is evident in his teams’ performances over 22 seasons as a head coach prior to his arrival at Northwestern.

During his time at New Mexico State and George Washington University, McKeown had an impressive 509-174 record and 17 trips to the NCAAW tournament. Between the inception of the WNBA in 1997 and the end of McKeown’s tenure at GW in 2008, four Revolutionaries’ players were drafted. During this period, McKeown only had one season without a star player.

McKeown’s strategy clearly worked in the past, but he has not been able to lay the necessary foundation to construct a formidable program here at Northwestern. It is unlikely McKeown will be able to attract the star players he needs, given Northwestern’s rollercoaster performance and lack of postseason appearances during his 16 seasons as head coach.

What now?

McKeown needs to revamp his strategy. He has the pieces to create a dynamic, high performing team. But he needs to tailor his approach to the team he has, instead of waiting for another superstar to carry them.

Individually, McKeown’s players have been producing. Last season, current third-year guard Caroline Lau boasted the fourth-most assists-per-game in the B1G. Current fourth-year guard Melanie Daley was ranked 14th in steals-per-game in the B1G. Daley and fourth-year forward Caleigh Walsh were ranked in the top 25 of the B1G for points-per-game. Walsh was also in the top 25 of the B1G for rebounds-per-game.

McKeown also added three seasoned transfers to the squad: fifth-year guard Kyla Jones, third-year forward Grace Sullivan and sixth-year forward Taylor Williams. Jones is a scoring stud; she averaged 17.1 points-per-game at Brown in the 2023-24 season. With playmaker Lau at her side, it is likely that Jones will produce similar numbers for the ’Cats this season.

Sullivan, a transfer from Bucknell, started 20 of 24 games played as a second-year. She had a seven game streak where she scored in the double-digits, and three other double-digit productions last season. With a second strong forward on the roster, McKeown will be able to rest Walsh without losing momentum on the court.

Williams is the only addition with experience playing in the B1G. Following a 1000-point career and program record-breaking performances at Western Michigan, Williams transferred to the University of Michigan for the 2023-24 season. Her experience as a sixth-year, as well as her different perspective of B1G women’s basketball, make her an asset to the ’Cats.

Referencing a remark of famous US Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks, this team doesn’t have enough talent to win on talent alone. The ’Cats need a new strategy— one that utilizes the skills of the existing players in a system built to maximize team strengths rather than individual strengths. The current Northwestern women’s basketball team has the potential to climb in the B1G rankings. Now, it's up to McKeown to lead the way.

Thumbnail photo by AJ Anderson / North by Northwestern