The Wildcats missed out on one of the top transfers in the portal, who had previous experience under new Northwestern head coach Carla Berube.
In her introductory press conference on Mar. 31, head coach Carla Berube spoke about the importance of bringing the right transfers to Northwestern. She hinted that she had recruited some of those players "along the way at Princeton," leading many to believe that Berube had her sights set on one of her former Tiger stars.
Senior guard Madison St. Rose entered the transfer portal in search of a graduate season of eligibility. The two-time All-Ivy League selection appeared in just four games in 2024-25 before tearing her ACL, but since the Ivy League does not grant medical redshirts, St. Rose would need to play her fifth year elsewhere.
Northwestern made sense as a logical landing spot after Berube left New Jersey for Evanston. St. Rose is headed to the Midwest, but unfortunately for the Wildcats, it won't be to play for Northwestern.
On3's Talia Goodman reported on Sunday afternoon that St. Rose had committed to Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish went 25-11 (12-6 ACC) this season and placed fifth in the ACC. Notre Dame reached the Elite Eight before getting bludgeoned by UConn, 70-52. Meanwhile, Northwestern recorded its fourth consecutive season under 10 wins and is entering a rebuild under Berube, who will be coaching at a Power Five school for the first time next season.
St. Rose undoubtedly would've been a strong pickup for Berube and the new Northwestern coaching staff, but the Wildcats have still made several significant additions in the transfer portal.
NU earned commitments from a pair of former four-star recruits from the SEC and ACC. Kentucky sophomore Lexi Blue was the No. 40-ranked player in the 2024 SportsCenter NEXT 100 class, but the 6-foot-2 wing played just 10.1 minutes per game in Lexington. Syracuse freshman Camdyn Nelson similarly saw the floor sparingly, despite being a four-star prospect in 2025.
Berube still has three available roster spots as she looks to shape the Wildcats, following the departures of sophomore forward Tayla Thomas (Minnesota) and freshman guard Angelina Hodgens to the transfer portal. Northwestern currently projects to enter the fall with three seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen on the roster.
The transfer portal is officially closed, as of Monday, meaning no further players can enter in the spring window without being penalized. However, teams can still recruit players who are already in the portal and have not yet committed to their next school.