The 'Cats land the 5-11 combo guard Lily Carmody, who led the Eagles' scoring, and brings ACC firepower to Northwestern.
Northwestern women's basketball continued its recruiting work in the transfer portal, landing another transfer from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Lily Carmody, a 5-foot-11 guard from Boston College, committed to the Wildcats on Saturday via her Instagram announcement. The sophomore played 30 games with 29 starts and led the Eagles in scoring last season, averaging 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. She also averaged 12.4 points during ACC play.
Carmody entered the transfer portal after a breakout season despite Boston College finishing 5-26 (1-17 ACC) and ranking last in the conference. The Australian international will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Before transferring to Boston College, Carmody spent her freshman campaign at Butler, averaging 6.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game across 31 games while logging 24 minutes per contest. She scored in double figures in six games. The Bulldogs finished 16-18 that season and lost to then-No. 8 St. John's in the first round of the Big East Tournament before earning a Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) berth, where they advanced to the second round.
Before pursuing her collegiate career in the United States, Carmody played two seasons at the senior women's level in Australia. She helped the NBL1's Melbourne Tigers to a first-place finish and became the team's leading scorer at just 16 years old. She played and trained alongside WNBA talents Jordan Canada, Naz Hillmon, Tiffany Mitchell, Cayla George and Olivia Nelson-Ododa.
Notre Dame guard Cassandre Prosper, left, guards Boston College guard Lily Carmody during a NCAA women's basketball game at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in South Bend.Carmody was an NBL1 South Youth Player of the Year nominee and competed in the Basketball Without Borders program in Las Vegas in 2023. She was also a member of the U19 Australian Gems Squad and earned a silver medal with the U20 Basketball Victoria State Team.
Playing primarily as a point guard, Carmody's post-up skills and footwork add an extra dimension to her game. At 5-foot-11, the combo guard capitalizes on her spin-move strength and physicality to score in the paint. Her averages of 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game demonstrate her versatility and capability to match Big Ten intensity with her size and athleticism.
For Northwestern, adding a former leading scorer from an ACC school is considered a massive get under new head coach Carla Berube. With Carmody joining the team, she's expected to crack the starting lineup following the departures of Caroline Lau and Tate Lash. As the fourth transfer for the 'Cats' 2026-27 season following Camdyn Nelson, Lexi Blue and Jasmyn Cooper, Carmody becomes the third guard Northwestern has acquired from the portal.