Signaling the official beginning of the B1G 10 conference regular season for the Dawgs, the Washington Huskies (10-2) host conference foe Northwestern (6-6) at Hec Ed on Monday, December 29th at 5pm PST.
Washington Huskies Preview
Following a blowout road victory over Pacific, the Washington Huskies offense currently averages 72.9 points per game; meanwhile, UW’s opponents average 53.0 points per game with a shooting average of 35.8% (42nd nationally).
The Huskies are highly efficient scoring at the rim (within 4.5 feet) making 60.8% (169 of 278) of their shots; however, Washington is shooting only 36.7% from farther away in the lane.
The Huskies are experiencing a strong uptick in three-point efficiency, shooting 35.1% from deep range, which is close to the Huskies expected standard for a season average (37% last season).
Junior point guard Sayvia Sellers, leads the Huskies offense with a team-leading 19.2 points per game; a team-leading 3.4 assists per game; and a team-leading 1.6 steals per game.
Sayvia is shooting a scorching 43.4% (33 for 76) from three-point range; while making 56% (51 for 91) of her two-point attempts; including, converting 70.8% (34 for 48) at the rim within 4.5 feet, as well as 41.4% farther away in the lane.
The Huskies currently only have two Husky players averaging double figures in points.
6’0″ guard Avery Howell, is the Huskies second leading scorer at 12.3 points per game; while contributing a team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game; and is third in steals with 1.3 per game.
Howell is the Huskies second-leading sharp-shooter from three-point range, making 40.6% (28 for 69) from deep.
Freshman forward Brynn McGaughy is the Huskies third leading scorer at 8.5 points per game; second-leading rebounder at 4.8 per game; and has a team-leading 17 blocks this season (1.4 per game).
Finally, senior guard Elle Ladineis currently the Huskies fourth-leading scorer at 7.7 points per game, as she works her way back from injury to increase her offensive contribution — Ladine averaged 17.1 points for the 2024-25 season.
Ultimately, the Huskies offense will look to attack Northwestern with a blend of strong rim finishing, three-point shooting, and balanced scoring.
Northwestern Wildcats Preview
The Northwestern Wildcats are coming off a road loss, 62-75, to George Washington — indeed, the Wildcats have lost their last six games.
On offense, Northwestern averages 67.8 points per game; while the Wildcats defense allows opponents to score 70.1 points per game – a losing differential.
The Wildcats are most efficient scoring at the rim (within 4.5 feet) making 60.2% (124 of 206) of their shots; while making only 38.1% (53 for 139) from farther away in the lane.
Northwestern is a poor three-point shooting team at 28.3% from deep range (66 for 233). The Wildcats shoot a mere 42.6% from the field overall; including, 49.3% on two-point attempts.
The Northwestern Wildcats feature two players averaging double figures in scoring.
The Wildcats are led by Grace Sullivan, a 6’4″ senior forward, who is averaging a team-leading 22.4 points per game; as well as a second-leading 7.8 rebounds per game; a team-leading 1.5 steals; and a third-leading 0.9 blocks per game.
Sullivan is most effective scoring at-the-rim, converting an extremely efficient 76.9% of her shots (40 for 52); as well as, an impressive 52.4% from farther away in the lane.
Sullivan also excels at scoring in the mid-range area of the court — making 55.5% (50 for 94) of her mid-range attempts.
Sullivan has not attempted a three-point shot, yet her efficiency from two-point zones makes her one of the most dangerous scorers in this matchup.
Tayla Thomas, a 6’3″ sophomore forward, scores a second-leading 11.4 points per game; as well as contributing a team-leading 9.4 rebounds per game; and a team-leading 1.7 blocks.
Thomas is most effective scoring at the rim (within 4.5 feet) with making 62.5% efficiency; yet, only makes a poor 36% from farther out in the lane.
Thomas offers limited offensive spacing at a mere 14.3% from three (2-for-14), but her paint presence and rim protection give Northwestern a rugged interior identity.
Casey Harter, a 5’11” junior guard, started nine games this season before suffering a “lower-body injury.”
Harter was averaging a third-leading 9.7 points per game and shooting 35% from three-point range.
If Harter is still unable to play versus the Huskies, Northwestern will miss her three-point firepower and a valuable third scoring option.
Casey Harter’s absence would further pressure Sullivan and Thomas to shoulder the load.
Finally, another notable player is Northwestern’s 5’9″ senior point point guard Caroline Lau.
Lay contributes a team-leading (and impressive) 9.2 assists per game.
Lau, however, is not a scoring threat — shooting 31.7% from the field overall; including a mediocre 29.4% from three-point range (15 for 51).
If Lau can consistently create clean looks for Sullivan, Thomas, and any available shooters, the Wildcats could challenge Washington’s defensive rotations.
Ultimately, the Wildcats will try to slow Washington’s tempo and turn the contest into a half-court battle to narrow the competitive gap.
UW WBB Huskies Keys to Victory
To secure the victory over the Northwestern Wildcats, the UW Huskies will need to disrupt the Wildcats by:
(1) playing tough and physical defense against Northwestern’s physical front court of Grace Sullivan and Tayla Thomas (their top two scorers) to limit inside-the-paint scoring, and also limit Sullivan’s mid-range offense;
(2) playing physical pressure defense to disrupt Northwestern point guard Caroline Lau (9.2 assists, but not a high-efficiency scorer) — Huskies defenders should pick up early, trap selectively, and go under screens to clog passing lanes while daring Lau to beat them with contested shots;
(3) attacking Northwestern’s defense by pushing offensive tempo and using aggressive dribble-drives (primarily by Sayvia Sellers) to pressure and draw fouls from Northwestern bigs, Sullivan and Thomas, and their point guard Lau;
(4) stretching Northwestern’s half court defense to its limits with Washington’s 35.1% three-point efficiency, including finding Avery Howell (40.6% from deep) for pick-and-pop and trail threes;
(5) led by Avery Howell and Brynn McGaughy, dominating the Wildcats with team rebounding to neutralize Northwestern’s bigs and limit their second-chance scoring around the rim; and
(6) efficiently executing the Huskies offense by limiting Washington’s turnovers to 12 or less.
If the Huskies are efficient offensively and defensively, they should control both the paint and the perimeter to secure a 10-15 point victory over Northwestern.
Huskies Win Probability: 75%
GO DAWGS!
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