Northwestern women’s basketball player previews 2022-23: Newcomers

Basketball season is upon us and there are some big shoes to fill this upcoming season for Joe McKeown’s newcomers. The conclusion of the ‘21-‘22 season meant the departure of two Wildcat starters: graduate student forward Lauryn Satterwhite and program great Veronica Burton. If the ‘Cats hope to make a deep run into the postseason, the first years will need to step up their game and make contributions. Let’s take a look at the new arrivals in Evanston.

F Alana Goodchild

The 6-foot-2 forward from down under is a long way from home in the Midwest. The Sydney, Australia native committed to Northwestern in spring 2021, choosing to follow in the footsteps of her former teammate and Wildcat Jess Sancataldo (‘22). The big brings some professional experience to the table, having trained as a development player for the WNBL Bendigo Spirit as an 18-year-old. Goodchild won a gold medal with the Australian team at the U15 FIBA Oceania Championship and was selected for both the U16 and U17 World Cup teams. In the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, she averaged 10.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG for Team Australia. Goodchild chose Northwestern over Washington State as well as other Power Five schools.

F Lauren Trumpy

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The next addition to McKeown’s roster is the 6-foot-4 forward from Camp Hill, Penn. Trumpy is a natural-born athlete, racking up All-State and All-Conference honors in both basketball and volleyball. Athleticism runs in her genes; her grandfather played for the Cincinnati Bengals, her brother played basketball at West Chester University, both her parents played basketball at Robert Morris, and her second cousin, Mike Trumpy was a fellow Wildcat, serving as a running back for the ‘Cats from 2009-2013.

The forward committed to Northwestern in summer 2021 after averaging a double-double her sophomore year and 12.3 PPG on 65% shooting her junior year. Unfortunately, Trumpy tore her ACL during volleyball season her senior year, stripping away her final basketball season with the Trinity Shamrocks. Despite the injury, Trumpy joined the team in a junior coaching role, taking her perspective straight to her teammates. Trumpy is an extremely versatile player, talented in both the front and back courts. Her outstanding size and high IQ make her a massive presence on defense and her efficiency both in and out of the paint makes her an offensive threat. With her recent experience taking on a coaching and analytical role, Trumpy looks to be ready for the B1G as long as her injury doesn’t hold her back.

G Caroline Lau

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The final recruit joining McKeown’s squad this fall is the 5-foot-9 guard out of Westport, Conn. Lau is 3x All NEPSAC First Team and ranked 91st on ESPNW’s class of 2022 rankings. In her sophomore year at St. Luke’s, she averaged 16.4 PPG, achieving the benchmark 1000th point early in the season. In her junior year at St. Luke’s, she averaged 22 PPG, 6.5 RPG and four APG. Her scoring mentality is nicely bolstered by her 3-point range, willing to pull up from deep beyond the arc in the right moments. Her crossover and step-back three-pointer 16 feet behind the arc in the FAA Championship game was featured in the ESPNW Top 10 Plays of the Week at No. 2.

Lau is a dynamic ball handler, who naturally commands the court. It may be a little soon to say, but Lau could help out at guard to fill the Veronica Burton-sized hole that the team is missing.

The ‘Cats are less than one month out from their home opener, taking on the University of Pennsylvania Quakers on Nov. 13. If this team wants to make it to Dallas in March, these first years are really going to need to step up to the challenge.