EVANSTON, Ill. (November 2, 2026) – Northwestern raises the curtain on the Carla Berube era on Tuesday evening, as it entertains Milwaukee to officially begin the 2026-27 season. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Tuesday’s contest will air live on B1G+, while Adam Beck (play-by-play) will have the call on the Northwestern Women’s Basketball Audio Network, which can be accessed through the official YouTube page of Northwestern Athletics.
LAST TIME OUT
Four Wildcats scored in double figures as Northwestern used a suffocating defensive effort to breeze by Lewis, 71-39, last Friday in its lone exhibition contest at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Casey Harter led all scorers in the win with 24 points. The senior guard also made her mark on the defensive end of the floor, recording three blocks. Like Harter, Lily Carmody contributed at both ends of the floor, adding 15 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and three steals.
Camdyn Nelson fell just shy of a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, while Jasmyn Cooper-Derba put up 10 points and five rebounds.
Northwestern held Lewis to just under 25 percent shooting from the field and forced 18 Flyer turnovers in the victory.
In addition to putting up 15 points, Lily Carmody came away with a team-high three steals in last Friday's exhibition win over Lewis. The Wildcats forced 18 Flyer miscues in the victory, cashing those in for 23 points on the other end of the floor.
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee, which eased past Benedictine, 70-52, in exhibition action last Thursday, finished 8-24 (4-16 HL) last season. Under the direction of veteran head coach Kyle Rechlicz, the Panthers were picked to finish 10th in the 12-team Horizon League Preseason Poll.
Milwaukee returns 12 letterwinners from last season, a group that includes a trio of starters in Payton Rechlicz, Madison Fitzgibbon, and Jada Williams.
The only Panther to start in all 32 games last season, Rechlicz (5.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg) reached double figures in scoring three times after being named to the Horizon League's All-Freshman Team in 2024-25. She scored a season-high 15 points in a clash with Northern Kentucky on February 12.
Fitzgibbon enjoyed an impressive freshman campaign in 2025-26, leading the Panthers in assists (62; 1.9 apg), while also reaching double figures in scoring on five occasions. Williams was a staple on the floor for the Panthers last season, closing the year ranked third on the team in minutes (711; 22.2 mpg).Â
SERIES STUFF
Tuesday's regular season opener will serve as the 11th all-time meeting between Northwestern and Milwaukee in women's basketball. The Wildcats hold a 6-4 (.600) lead in a series that traces its roots back to an 89-46 Northwestern victory on January 12, 1993. Northwestern has won three of its four meetings against Milwaukee at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
When the two teams last clashed on December 14, 2021, Caileigh Walsh poured in a team-high 17 points to help Northwestern defeat Milwaukee by a final count of 55-46. Veronica Burton stuffed the stat sheet in the win, finishing her night with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals.
UP NEXT
Northwestern returns to the Welsh-Ryan Arena hardwood on Thursday, November 5, taking on Xavier in a 7 p.m. CT tip-off.