Northwestern Wildcats Alumni Reach WNBA Milestones

Two former Northwestern stars are continuing to make their mark in the WNBA.

As the WNBA regular season heads toward its homestretch, Veronica Burton and Nia Coffey have each reached significant career milestones, giving Northwestern another opportunity to celebrate the continued success of two of its most accomplished women’s basketball alumni.

Burton recently reached 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds with the Golden State Valkyries, becoming the first player in franchise history to reach 1,000 points. Later in the season, Burton added another milestone by eclipsing 500 career rebounds.  

The milestones are another reflection of how far Burton has come since her time in Evanston.

At Northwestern, Burton finished her career with 1,536 points while establishing herself as one of the best defensive guards in program history. She earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors three times and led the NCAA in steals in both 2021 and 2022. She was selected seventh overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2022 WNBA Draft. 

Now in her fifth WNBA season, Burton has continued to take another step forward. She is averaging 12.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game for Golden State in 2026 while shooting 36.3% from three-point range. She also enters the final stretch of the season having established herself as one of the league’s reliable two-way guards. 

Coffey reached her own milestone earlier this season, surpassing 1,500 career WNBA points.. The former Northwestern star has now reached that mark in her 10th WNBA season, continuing a professional career that began when she was selected fifth overall by the San Antonio Stars in the 2017 WNBA Draft. 

Coffey’s Northwestern career remains one of the best in program history. She finished with 2,287 points and 1,183 rebounds, becoming the only player in program history to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors in all four seasons. She also remains Northwestern’s career leader in rebounds, free throws made and free-throw attempts.

Now with the Minnesota Lynx, Coffey continues to provide valuable production and veteran experience. Through 40 games in 2026, she is averaging 6.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 44.7% from the field and 38.8% from three-point range. 

For Northwestern, seeing Burton and Coffey continue to reach milestones years after leaving Evanston is another reminder of the talent the program has produced.

Both players took different paths to the WNBA, but both have carved out lasting careers. Burton continues to develop into a productive guard in Golden State, while Coffey has become a veteran presence for Minnesota and reached another major scoring milestone in her 10th season.

With both still contributing at a high level, the sky remains the limit for what these former Wildcats can accomplish.

And for Northwestern women’s basketball, there is something special about watching two alumni continue to represent the program and reach new heights on one of the biggest stages in women’s basketball.