In a world where programs like UConn and Tennessee are sharks in terms of professional prowess, Northwestern women\u2019s basketball historically was a tiny minnow in comparison.<\/p>\n
Yet as Joe McKeown was honored at the home football tilt on Saturday versus UCLA, it was a reminder of how far the program has come. McKeown\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 includes NCAA Tournament runs, Big Ten titles and perhaps most notably the fact that all four Wildcats drafted into the WNBA were coached by him. Two of those four, Veronica Burton and Nia Coffey, were both top-10 picks and continue to extend Northwestern\u2019s pro legacy.<\/p>\n
There wasn\u2019t much expectation for either player heading into 2025. Burton, fresh off being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft, was seen as little more than a depth piece. She had averaged just 3.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 12.7 minutes per game with the Connecticut Sun in 2024. On paper, there wasn\u2019t much reason to expect a breakout.<\/p>\n
But those who followed her overseas play saw hints of what was to come. In Australia\u2019s WNBL, Burton won a championship with the Bendigo Spirit and captured the league\u2019s Golden Hands Award, given to the player with the best balance of assists and steals compared to turnovers. She averaged 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the Grand Final series, evidence that with more responsibility, she could thrive.<\/p>\n
By midseason in the WNBA, that potential was already becoming reality. Burton seized a full-time starting role in Golden State\u2019s inaugural season, jumping her averages into double figures for the first time in her career: 10.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists on 34.5% shooting. She was the team\u2019s offensive engine, ranking top-10 in the league in assists and flashing range with a five three-pointer outing in a statement win over the Indiana Fever.<\/p>\n
Her upward trajectory never slowed down. Burton finished the season averaging 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 38.7% shooting and 34.5% from deep \u2014 all career highs \u2014 while earning the WNBA\u2019s Most Improved Player Award. She also became the only player in the league to lead her team in total points, rebounds, assists and blocks. Against the Washington Mystics, she scored 30 points, a Valkyries single-game program record. Golden State made the playoffs in just its first season, and although the Valkyries bowed out in the first round, Burton cemented herself as a cornerstone guard for the franchise. Her offseason plans include a stint in the Unrivaled League, signaling both confidence in her growth and intrigue in her next step.<\/p>\n
After being inducted into the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame in its 2024 class, Coffey\u2019s year looked different. The former No. 5 overall pick maintained her spot as a depth piece on a competitive Atlanta Dream roster, averaging 3.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists in just over 11 minutes per game. She had flashes, most notably an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double against Connecticut in May, but largely struggled to replicate her peak 2021 production with Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Still, Coffey contributed valuable frontcourt minutes as Atlanta secured another playoff berth. The Dream also bowed out in the first round, with Coffey\u2019s lone postseason points coming in the team\u2019s only win in game one.<\/p>\n
The gap between Burton\u2019s breakout and Coffey\u2019s steady bench role highlights the different phases of their careers. Burton, just four seasons in, is trending up and establishing herself as a reliable starting guard. Coffey, an eight-year veteran, remains a role player but provides depth and veteran presence to a playoff team.<\/p>\n
For Northwestern, though, the bigger picture matters. A program once seen as irrelevant in the national conversation has active alumni producing at the highest level of the sport. Burton\u2019s rise in particular offers a new benchmark for future Wildcats aspiring to the pros.<\/p>\n
Northwestern women\u2019s basketball may still be a minnow compared to the sport\u2019s blue bloods, but it has proven it can produce players who punch well above their weight in the WNBA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a world where programs like UConn and Tennessee are sharks in terms of professional prowess, Northwestern women\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":188332,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[110163,99,434],"class_list":["post-188331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-northwestern-womens-basketball","tag-sports","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}