How to Watch Nebraska Women's Basketball vs. Northwestern State with Preview, Breakdown, Streaming

With the weather turning colder and the calendar flipping to November, it's officially crossover season with the start of college basketball, which enters its first season of relaxed eligibility rules and revenue sharing.

It's a new era for the Nebraska women's basketball team as it enters its 10th season with head coach Amy Williams, while coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2024 and 2025. Gone is four-time All-Big Ten Center Alexis Markowski and a trio of other seniors in Kendall Coley, Kendall Moriarity, and Alberte Rimdal.

What returns is a young, but also accomplished group that's headlined by Big Ten All-Freshman point guard Britt Prince and the return of 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Natalie Potts — who suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of last season. With veteran guard Callin Hake and returners Petra Bozan and Jessica Petrie at forward, NU will once again be expected to compete for a third-straight NCAA Tournament berth.

Here's all you need to know as the Nebraska women open up their season Monday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: Nebraska (RV, 0-0, 0-0 B1G) vs. Northwestern State (0-0, 0-0 Southland)
When: Monday, November 3
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 12 p.m. CST
Watch: B1G+
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Northwestern State Scout

Head Coach

Anna Nimz | 6th season at Northwestern State & Career | 51-86 (.372) at NSU & Career Record.

2024 Finish

L, 59-86 to Abilene Christian in WNIT First Round.

2024 Record & Awards

16-16 (12-8 Southland, T-4th) | All-Southland: 1x First Team, 1x All-Defensive,

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 2-0 (Nov. 6, 2023, last matchup; 90-42 NU)

NWSU's Vernell Atamah (right) was named the Southland's Newcomer of the Year after averaging 13.9 points as a true freshman. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Vernell Atamah | Soph. | F | 2024-2025 Southland Freshman of the Year that is the lone returning starter for the Lady Demons as she was one of four NWSU players to start in all 32 games last year as a freshman, averaging 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Carla Celaya | G | Sr. | Played in 31 of 32 games last season and is the only player on the roster that competed in the 2023-2024 season opener against Nebraska two years ago.

Northwestern State guard Mya Blake (3) was named to the All-Southland First Team in her final season last year. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Key Departures

Mya Blake | G | Graduated | Led Northwestern State in scoring (18 PPG), assists (4.0 APG) and steals (1.8 SPG) en route to All-Southland First Team and Newcomer of the Year honors.
Jasmin Dixon | F | Graduated | Selected to the All-Southland Defensive Team and is now a graduate assistant for the Lady Demons.
Sharna Ayres | G | Graduated | Was one of three players to average double-digit points for the Lady Demons with 10.9 per game while shooting over 32% from three-point land.

Nya Valentine (2) joins her fourth school this year with NWSU. — Nya Valentine (2) joins her fourth school this year with NWSU after spending time with Louisiana-Monroe, Clemson and Shelton State CC. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

Impact Tranfers/Newcomers

Dasia Turner | F | Transfer (Philander Smith, NAIA) | Ohio native averaged 14.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in her final season at the NAIA school in Arkansas while making a trip to the 2025 NAIA Tournament.
Nya Valentine | G | Gr. | Transfer (Louisiana-Monroe) | Averaged 6.1 points and 2.5 assists across 31 games last year; Also spent time at Clemson (2023-'24) and Shelton State CC where she was an NJCAA All-American.
Tiara Abron | G | Gr. | Transfer (Mississippi College, DII) | Poured in over 12 points and three rebounds in her final season in Division II and will start for the Lady Demons.
Jeannie "Jay" Scott | G | Jr. | Transfer (Moberly Area CC) | Played in 13 games at DI Barry University in 2022-'23 before missing all of the next season; Second-Team NJCAA All-America honors after 19.0 PPG.
Mika Jarrett | G | Jr. | Transfer (Moorpark College, CC) | Makes a big leap after hitting on 34.3 percent of her threes with 13.4 points and 3.9 assists in a community college in California.
Alexis Calderon | G | Gr. | Transfer (New Orleans) | Former UNO transfer that averaged over seven points per game last season before making an in-state transfer.
Stephie Salumu | F | Soph. | Belgium native who earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors in her one season at South Georgia Technical College.
Noelle Lavery | F | Gr. | Another NAIA star moving up, the Illinois native was named the Newcomer of the Year and first team all-conference at Reinhardt University.

Alexis Calderon (left) transferred from New Orleans where she averaged 7.4 points in 29 games last season. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Outlook

It has been a slow and steady build, but the Lady Demons had their best season in the fifth year of head coach Anna Nimz, who led Northwestern State to their first postseason tournament in 2015 with a first-round loss in the WNIT and a 16-16 overall record.

However, most of that roster graduated from the school, including All-Southland First Teamer Mya Blake and four of the team's leading scorers. The one exception is returning Southland Newcomer of the Year Vernell Atamah as she put up 13.9 points (2nd on team) and a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game as a true freshman.

Nebraska forward Natalie Potts will make her first playing appearance since Nov. 19, 2024 against North Alabama. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

She'll lead a new look Lady Demon squad that will rely on several transfers to fill key spots. Aside from Atamah, the four other projected starters are transfers, which include forward Dasia Turner (Philander Smith, NAIA), Nya Valentine (Louisiana-Monroe), Jeannie "Jay" Scott (Moberly Area CC) and Tiara Abron (Mississippi College, DII).

Atamah is a real difference maker that will be up for all the major Southland awards at the end of the season — and someone that the Lady Demons will have to fight to keep. Outside of her, Nimz will need a lot of lower-level transfers to adjust to the higher quality of player, which is a tough ask in a season-opener against a Nebraska team expected to battle for another berth in the NCAA Tournament. Expect a big season-opening win for the Huskers in front of a big crowd of screaming middle-grade students and parents.

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