Grace Sullivan is experiencing her breakout year as a senior at Northwestern. Since November, she's immersed herself in a bigger role and kept the surge going.

Last week, Northwestern (6-3, 0-1 B1G) opened its Big Ten play against No. 23 Ohio State. Despite falling to the Buckeyes 79-70 while battling until the final whistle, the senior big posted her career-high 37 points, adding eight boards, three steals and a block to stuff her stat sheet.

Sullivan was destined for a bigger role before the season started after the departures of Caileigh Walsh, Taylor Williams and Melannie Daley — the Wildcats' senior trio from last year that combined for 35.8 points per game and over 50% of Northwestern's scoring in 2024-25. As one of four players scoring double-digits per game last season, Sullivan naturally shoulders the scoring responsibility this year. Her average has jumped from 10.1 points (50.6% FG) as a junior to 24.3 (58.7% FG), leading the Big Ten and ranking sixth nationally.

Obviously, the mid-range jumper is her primary weapon on offense. To create shooting chances, Sullivan mostly finds space through off-ball movement, either moving to the elbows for pick-and-roll opportunities or drifting to the free-throw line. What's worth mentioning is her boosted confidence in one-on-one situations and ability to convert more contested shots on the post, presenting a straightforward threat to opponents.

Behind the rising figures are Sullivan's increasing shot attempts. According to HerHoopStats, the Wildcat is taking nearly 10 more shots per game — from 8.7 last year to 19.0 — from the perimeter, knocking down 11 of those compared to 4.4 last year, ranking No. 1 nationally in both makes and attempts.

With her minutes and usage peaking, every facet of her game has progressed. Though there's room to improve on the offensive glass, Sullivan has elevated her second-chance points from 1.5 to 4.0 with 2.2 offensive boards per game. The increased playing time has also magnified her defensive presence. Beyond elevating her steals (1.6) and blocks (1.1), her defensive rebound percentage (20.2%) and steal percentage (2.6%) both place above 70% of players nationally at her position, per CBB Analytics.

Many of Sullivan's buckets come from the Wildcats' main orchestrator, Caroline Lau. With the chemistry the duo built last year, their connection has developed into a cornerstone of Northwestern's offense. Whether maneuvering pick-and-rolls on the wings or unleashing a full-court pass, Lau consistently finds Sullivan in the right place, and the latter capitalizes on those feeds.

Northwestern will rely more on her as the Wildcats enter the Big Ten slate with tougher tests ahead. Having not scored fewer than 15 points since the season opener, the team needs consistent production from its senior star.

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