Northwestern Forward Grace Sullivan Named All-Big Ten Conference Selection

The news became official Tuesday, but in Evanston, it felt inevitable. Grace Sullivan has been named an All-Big Ten Conference selection. She has cemented her place among the elite in the Big Ten Conference and in the record books of the Northwestern Wildcats.

Senior Season Rewriting the Record Books for Northwestern Wildcats

The 6-foot-4 senior forward from Antioch, Illinois, received Second Team All-Big Ten honors from the conference media voters. Meanwhile, Big Ten head coaches selected her to the Third Team.

The dual recognition caps a season in which Sullivan elevated her game from steady contributor to one of the most dangerous scoring threats in the country.

Amazing Grace 🤩

After closing the year ranked fourth in @B1Gwbball in scoring (21.4 ppg), Grace Sullivan has been named an All-Big Ten Conference selection! pic.twitter.com/DdXUqyGzsK
— Northwestern Women’s Basketball (@nuwbball) March 3, 2026

She finished the regular season averaging 21.4 points per game, tied for the third-highest single-season scoring average in program history. That figure placed her fourth in the Big Ten in scoring and 14th nationally.

Over 28 appearances, Sullivan totaled 599 points. That is the highest single-season output by a Wildcat in a decade, dating back to when Nia Coffey scored 711 points during the 2015-16 season.

What separated Sullivan this year was her consistency. There were no long scoring droughts. No disappearing acts. She reached double figures in 27 of 28 games and scored 20 or more points 18 times.

From November 17 through December 14, she recorded at least 20 points in seven straight games. That streak marked the longest such run by a Northwestern player since the 1990-91 season. Sullivan’s senior season was not padded against light competition. When the spotlight brightened and the opponents stiffened, she responded.

On December 7, she erupted for a career-high 37 points against No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes. The performance sent a clear message across the conference. She followed it up with a 35-point effort at Indiana Hoosiers on February 1, delivering one of the most electric road performances of the Big Ten season.

Both outings rank inside the program’s top 10 single-game scoring performances. In total, Sullivan recorded four 30-plus-point games this season, three of which came in Big Ten play. Sullivan’s rise did not happen overnight. Her growth can be traced back to her early collegiate days at Bucknell University.

The Journey From Bucknell to Evanston

During the 2022-23 season, she appeared in 28 games and averaged 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds. She made her collegiate debut against Saint Joseph’s and later posted a then-career-high 10 points against Navy.

The 2023-24 season brought visible progress. After missing the early portion of the year due to injury, she recorded 10 double-digit scoring games, including seven straight from February 4 through March 2. She notched her first career double-double and set a career high in points against Loyola on February 28.

Her first season at Northwestern in 2024-25 signaled another step forward. Sullivan started 15 of 27 games and shot just over 50 percent from the field, going 119-for-235. She averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while scoring in double figures 17 times. She showcased her versatility with a career-best four blocks against No. 24 Minnesota and a career-high five assists at Iowa.

Long before she was lighting up Big Ten defenses, Sullivan was rewriting record books at Carmel Catholic in Illinois. A four-year letter winner and team captain, she guided her squad to regional, sectional, super-sectional, and state titles with a 28-7 record as a senior.

She earned All-Conference honors her senior year and All-Conference honorable mention as a junior. She was a two-time All-Area selection and received Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Second Team All-State recognition along with AP All-State honorable mention honors.

When she graduated, she held school records for career points with 1,222, rebounds with 817, and blocks with 102. Her AAU experience with Illinois Elite and Midwest Elite EYBL programs helped refine the competitive edge that now defines her game.

While Sullivan’s scoring headlines the season, Northwestern also celebrated senior leadership across the roster. Senior forward Lauren Trumpy was named the program’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. That's one of 18 honorees recognized across the conference for ethical behavior and integrity.

For Sullivan, the 21.4-point-per-game average is more than a stat line. From Antioch to Bucknell to Evanston, her journey showcases steady evolution into one of the most prolific scorers in Northwestern history.

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