Finding Washington Huskies’ Fifth Starter(Part 1): The Final Piece to Unlock A Championship Run?

The Washington Huskies enter the 2026–27 season with one question that will shape everything from lineup balance to Big Ten title hopes to NCAA postseason ceiling: who becomes the fifth starter next to Sayvia Sellers, Avery Howell, Brynn McGaughy, and Tilda Trygger?

It’s not a crisis — it’s an opportunity. And for the first time in years, the Huskies have options.

A New Season, A New Perimeter Identity

The mandate is clear. With Elle Ladine and Hannah Stines moving on, Washington loses two pillars of its perimeter scoring ecosystem — Ladine’s multi‑level shot creation and Stines’ steady hand as the secondary ball‑handler. Those departures leave a real gap in shot‑making, spacing, and off-the-dribble creation.

But they also create an opportunity for someone new to step into a major role.

The Huskies return the elite perimeter duo of Sayvia Sellers and Avery Howell — Sellers is the elite point guard engine, and Howell the elite shooter. Meanwhile, rising 5’10” junior Devin Coppinger gives UW a strong third guard option as an experienced, versatile two-way contributor.

Consequently, what Washington needs is someone who complements — not duplicates — these existing strengths. The ideal fifth starter stretches defenses, attacks off the bounce, and maintains floor spacing that allows the Sellers–Howell–McGaughy–Trygger core to operate at peak efficiency. Head Coach Tina Langley, Associate Head Coach Latara King, and the UW WBB staff understood this mandate clearly, and they attacked the transfer portal with precision.

The Portal Delivers: Three New Faces, Three Different Skill Sets

Tina Langley and her staff didn’t wait around. They rebuilt the perimeter with diverse skill sets:

• Oklahoma State transfer Macey Huard — a 6’2″ pure three‑point specialist who can punish sagging defenses.

• Colorado State transfer Brooke Carlson — a 5’8″ tough, downhill combo guard who averaged 11.9 points (and exploded for 26 points versus Michigan State).

• Kentucky transfer Kaelyn Carroll — a 6’3″ wing with the rare combination of length, skills and athleticism.
  

These new additions round out the Huskies portal class and introduce genuine matchup versatility that Washington hasn’t possessed in years.

The Battle for the Fifth Spot: More Than Just a Depth Chart Decision

The Huskies don’t need, and will not settle for, a fifth starter who just fills the empty space between Sellers and Howell on the perimeter.

What makes this competition so compelling is that Washington isn’t searching for a placeholder — they’re searching for a certified difference‑maker.

Washington needs someone who can tilt matchups, punish defensive gaps, and give UW the kind of lineup versatility that wins games in late February and early March.

And for the first time in the Tina Langley era, the Huskies have multiple players who could realistically seize that role.

Kaelyn Carroll brings size, length, and upside; Brooke Carlson brings toughness, paint pressure off-the-dribble, and proven steady scoring; Macey Huard brings elite shooting gravity; and junior Devin Coppinger brings IQ, experience, and two‑way reliability.

Each one solves a different problem. Each one gives Washington a different identity.

And that’s exactly why this is a crucial competitive decision.

How Carroll Fits Into Washington’s Long‑Term Vision

Kaelyn Carroll’s upside is obvious — a 6’3″ wing who can guard up and down the lineup, hit threes, and grow into a bigger offensive role. But her potential impact goes beyond raw tools.

She potentially gives Washington something it hasn’t had in years: a true matchup‑proof wing.

Against bigger Big Ten teams? Carroll’s length helps. Against smaller, guard‑heavy lineups? She can switch and stay in front. Against teams that pack the paint? She can stretch the floor.

If she wins the job, Washington’s starting five becomes one of the most balanced in the Big Ten conference — a blend of shooting, size, offense creation, and defensive versatility that mirrors the blueprint of modern tournament teams.

Why This Competition Will Define the Season

This fifth-starter battle carries enormous weight for the Huskies’ postseason trajectory. Washington already knows exactly what Sellers, Howell, McGaughy, and Trygger deliver — that quartet forms the backbone of a legitimate postseason contender.

However, the fifth starter is the variable that functions as the swing factor that determines Washington’s ultimate identity and ceiling.

If Kaelyn Carroll pops? Washington becomes a matchup nightmare.

If Brooke Carlson emerges? Washington adds a (still developing) 3-level scoring threat that follows in the footsteps of Elle Ladine.

If Macey Huard forces her way in with shooting? Washington becomes a three-ball centric, floor-spacing offensive machine.

If Devin Coppinger takes a leap? Washington gets a steady, two‑way “glue player” who raises the performance floor of every lineup.

This diversity of options isn’t a weakness. It’s a luxury.

The Dawgs Are Building Something Real

For the first time since the Kelsey Plum era, Washington enters a season not just hoping to compete nationally — but expecting to. The roster is deeper. The talent is more balanced. The portal additions fill real needs. And the internal development curve is pointing straight up.

The search for the fifth starter isn’t a desperate scramble. It’s the final calculated strategic step in completing a lineup that can potentially win the Big Ten and make big noise nationally during March Madness.

Whoever claims the fifth starting position will shape Washington’s identity throughout the 2026–27 campaign. Whether it’s Carroll’s matchup-proof versatility, Carlson’s dribble-drive scoring aggression, Huard’s shooting gravity, or Coppinger’s steady two-way reliability, the Huskies enter this season with the pieces already in place. But the bigger story is this:

Washington finally has the pieces to aim for a Big Ten championship. Now it’s just about choosing the right combination.

And that puts the Dawgs in a great position.

GO DAWGS!

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us