How to Watch Nebraska Women’s Basketball vs. Northwestern with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

The Huskers look to start their own winning streak after snapping their three-game skid against Illinois over the weekend.

Nebraska guard Callin Hake looks for a teammate against Illinois State. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Reeling from a three-game losing streak that included two losses by a combined five points, the Nebraska women's basketball team finally broke through for its most impressive win of the season, knocking off an Illinois team that had hovered near or just inside the top 25 for most of the season in an 81-75 victory at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Holding a massive 41-23 lead at halftime, the Huskers nearly gave up their advantage, but held on thanks to Britt Prince, who poured in 20 points for a team high to lead NU's four double-figure scorers. Jessica Petrie and Logan Nissley each added 15 points while Petra Bozen collected 11 in 14 minutes off the bench.

Looking to steamroll some momentum going into a two-game road trip east, Nebraska hosts Northwestern for a midweek conference battle at PBA.

How to Follow Along 

• Matchup: Nebraska (15-5, 4-5 B1G) vs. Northwestern (8-12, 2-7 B1G)
• When: Wednesday, January 28
• Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
• Time: 7 p.m. CST 
• Watch: Nebraska Public Media/B1G+
• Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Northwestern head coach Joe Mckeown is in his 17th season with the Wildcats, but hasn't reached 10 wins since 2021-2022. | Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images

Northwestern Scout

Head Coach

• Joe McKeown | 17th season at Northwestern; 39th as HC
• 276-270 (.505) at NW; 785-444 (.639) Career Record
• 17x NCAA Tournament Apps., 1x Elite Eight, 3x Sweet 16s
• 1x B1G Regular Season, 10x A-10 Regular Season, 4x A-10 Tournament
• 1x B1G Coach OTY (2020), 5x A-10 Coach OTY
• Previous head coach at George Washington and New Mexico State
• Previous assistant at Oklahoma and Kent State

2024-2025 Record & Awards

• Record: 9-18 (2-16 B1G, 17th)
• All-B1G: 2x Honorable Mention

All-Time Series

• Nebraska leads 17-8
• March 2, 2025, last matchup, 98-77 Northwestern

Northwestern’s Grace Sullivan ranks second in the Big Ten with over 22 points per game. | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Key Returners

• Grace Sullivan | F | Sr. | 6-foot-4 forward who's second in the Big Ten in scoring with 22.1 points per game and grabbing nearly seven rebounds after being a part-time starter last season.
• Casey Harter | G | Jr. | Returning starter who has slightly improved her production to 9.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
• Caroline Lau | G | Sr. | Another returning starter that's up to 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, which are both improvements from 2024-2025.
• Xamiya Walton | G | Soph. | Appeared in all 27 games last season as a true freshman and now scores nearly eight points per game, albeit as a part-time starter.
• Tayla Thomas | F | Soph. | Another true sophomore who's taken a big step in her second college season, ranking second on the team in scoring (9.9) and leading the Wildcats with 8.3 rebounds per game.

Key Departures

• Caileigh Walsh | F | Graduated | Veteran forward who led Northwestern with 12.4 points per game and added 4.5 rebounds in starting 14 of her 25 appearances.
• Taylor Williams | F | Graduated | 26-game starter in her final college season and nearly averaged a double-double with over 11 points and nine rebounds per game.
• Melannie Daley | G | Graduated | The Wildcats' best reserve from last season, when she added nearly 12 points a contest with only two starts among her 27 appearances.
• Kyla Jones | G | Gr. | Full-time starter last season, adding over eight points per game.

Former Northwestern forward Caileigh Walsh (10) led the Wildcats in scoring with over 12 points per game in her final season. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

• Tate Lash | G | Gr. | Georgia native and Furman transfer that's carved out over 20 minutes per game and scoring six points a contest.
• Angelina Hodgens | G | Fr. | Heralding from New York, the freshman plays nearly seven minutes per game in 15 appearances.  

Outlook

Finishing second-to-last in the Big Ten last season and compiling single-digit wins for the third-straight year, Northwestern has been one of the biggest victims of the Big Ten's expansion as basketball powers USC and UCLA joined the conference.

After another rough campaign, the Wildcats and head coach Joe McKeown saw their top four contributors depart, including leading scorer Caileigh Walsh (12.4) and Taylor Williams, who nearly averaged a double-double. Plus, double-figure scorer Melannie Daley (11.7) and starter Kyla Jones (8.6).

Northwestern's Tayla Thomas nearly averages a double-double as a true sophomore. | Northwestern Athletics

Not one for transfers, the Wildcats welcomed back a batch of returners to lead their 2025-2026 squad. Grace Sullivan has been the biggest story for NW, developing into the Big Ten's second leading scorer at over 22 points per game while adding nearly seven rebounds. Unfortunately for Northwestern, she's the only double-digit scorer, but Tayla Thomas followed in Williams' footsteps with a near double-double average, scoring 9.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

Returners Casey Harter (9.9 PPG), Caroline Lau (7.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG), and Xamiya Walton (7.8 PPG) are all important parts of the rotation. That also includes the lone impactful transfer, Tate Lash. The Georgia native spent her previous four seasons at Furman and now averages 5.5 points per game in starting 13 of her 20 appearances.

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