A dynamic local scoring threat joins her sister in Evanston, while a clutch New England champion provides much-needed size to bolster Carla Berube’s Wildcats rotation.
Since transitioning into the Carla Berube era, Northwestern women's basketball has reshuffled its roster significantly. Following the graduations of Grace Sullivan, Tate Lash, Caroline Lau, Daija Turner, Sammy White and Lauren Trumpy and transfers of Tayla Thomas and Angelina Hodgens, the Wildcats added four portal transfers: Lexi Blue (Kentucky), Camdyn Nelson (Syracuse), Jasmyn Cooper (Syracuse) and Lily Carmody (Boston College).
As Northwestern finalizes its roster and gears up for the offseason, let’s take a look at its two freshmen and what both of them can bring to the team.
Xyanna Walton
From Chicago, Walton is a local recruit that the program secured last July — one of the heritage recruits under former coach Joe McKeown and notably the younger sister of current Northwestern guard Xamiya Walton.
The 5-foot-10 guard drew offers from Memphis, DePaul, Oakland, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Manhattan, Houston and Florida State before committing to Northwestern. Just look at her stats to understand the value of a recruit: During her junior season at Butler College Prep, Walton averaged a stunning double-double of 19.9 points and 13.7 rebounds, alongside 4.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game. This past senior campaign, she maintained elite production with 18.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.3 steals.
Walton brings two-way potential for Northwestern, and Berube has experience developing potent guards with scoring instincts, such as Madison St. Rose who averaged double-digit scoring across her last three years at Princeton under the same coach. Having another guard with a similar prototype could help rejuvenate the Wildcats' offense.
"I feel like I can fit into the Big Ten specifically because I like to play up and down with high energy," Walton told On3 last year. "I'm pretty athletic, so I feel like that's something that the Big Ten can use."
Beyond basketball, having Xyanna play alongside sister and former Butler Prep teammate Xamiya, who just experienced an improved season last year and is expected to take on a bigger role, adds a compelling family connection to the program.
Brooke Golden
Northwestern also secured another 2026 class player in Brooke Golden from Tilton School. The Chester, New Hampshire native received offers from Providence, Holy Cross, Columbia, Kent State and others before committing to Northwestern.
Golden played two years at Bishop Guertin, winning back-to-back Division 1 State Championships, before transferring to Tilton School. Her defining moment came in the 2025 NEPSAC Championship, where she hit the game-winning jump hook with one second remaining to lift Tilton to a 68-66 victory over Nobles in the Class AAA Championship, a clutch performance that showcased her composure under pressure.
At 6-foot-3, Golden brings height and physicality that Northwestern lacked last season, along with developing midrange shooting ability. However, with the frontcourt already featuring Cooper, veteran Rachel Mutombo and Crystal Wang, her minutes may be limited in her freshman campaign.
