Three and a half years ago, head coach Joe McKeown welcomed a four-star recruit from Connecticut into Welsh-Ryan Arena for the first time. That recruit took college life in stride, fully dedicating herself to the Northwestern women’s basketball program and appearing in all 30 games in her first year.
Flash forward to about two months ago, and that recruit, Carolina Lau, left Welsh-Ryan Arena for the last time as a lifelong Wildcat.
Despite NU’s disappointing 2026 campaign, Lau had a career year in her final season in purple and white, etching her name into the Northwestern history books. Lau set personal bests in all of the major statistics, averaging 8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and leading the nation in assists with 8.4 per game. Lau’s 245 assists this year and 652 in her career rank third in program history.
Let’s review Lau’s last season as a Wildcat.
The Good
The first thing to discuss with Lau is, obviously, her passing. Throughout the season, Lau was Northwestern’s floor general who dictated the flow of the game. She excelled at finding Grace Sullivan and Tayla Thomas in the painted area for layups as well as pushing the pace and finding Northwestern wings on the break. Unlike many other players, Lau showed the vision and the execution to complete almost any pass on the court. Although NU struggled with spacing throughout the year, Lau’s passing and creativity helped reduce stagnation in the Wildcat offense. Lau’s selflessness enabled her to rank as the best passer in the country.
Another positive element of Lau’s game is her fast hands. She averaged at least one steal per game in each of the last three seasons, and she makes up for her smaller frame with sustained effort and quick reflexes. Lau seemed to always be in passing lanes, causing deflections that kickstarted Northwestern fast breaks.
Speaking of making up for her smaller frame, Lau was third on the team in rebounding despite being 5-foot-9. Northwestern’s lack of size beyond its frontcourt caused major rebounding issues that plagued the team throughout the year, but Lau was not to blame. Lau was one of the only guards who frequently crashed the glass and helped out Sullivan and Thomas on the boards. The senior guard consistently used her experience and knowledge of the game to track down loose balls and secure the ‘Cats extra possessions.
The final thing to note about Lau was her availability throughout her career. Lau averaged 34.1 minutes and started every game for Northwestern this season. Across her four-year career, Lau didn’t miss a single game. 116 appearances out of the 116 Northwestern games. Lau has been on the court for over 70% of the Northwestern women’s basketball that has been played for four years; she is what you call an iron-woman.
The Bad
The main critique of Lau’s game has always been her struggles with shooting. This season, Lau shot 34.9% from the field, 32.5% from three and 67.3% from the free throw line. That lack of shooting efficiency from a starting guard simply does not translate to wins at the highest level. Lau’s inability to stretch the floor allowed opponents to clog the paint and focus all of their attention on defending Sullivan and Thomas.
Lau’s inefficiency from long range also prevented her from sustainably pressuring the rim. Defenders sagged off Lau, oftentimes making it nearly impossible to get good looks in close proximity to the hoop. She succeeded in the open court and fast break opportunities, but Lau’s inability to consistently score made the NU half-court offense sluggish at times.
Lau also struggled with turnover issues. For as many open looks she generated via her passing, she coughed up the ball over four times per game. The lack of Wildcat spacing seemed to overcomplicate things for Lau, as when NU couldn’t score, she tried to force the issue instead of letting the game come to her.
The Legacy
Lau represented the final chapter of the McKeown era, a period which Wildcat fans would love to forget, going 35-81 in her four-year career in Evanston. However, Lau still left a meaningful mark on the Northwestern basketball program. Throughout her career, she was an honorable mention in the Big Ten, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten member and a CSC Academic All-District member. Most notably, Lau dedicated herself to her team and her community through countless ups and downs.
