Quéliz arrived at Huntington Avenue with some hype thanks to an impressive high school career in Massachusetts. In an ideal world, she would have had the opportunity to come off the bench last season and focus on learning the secrets of being a colligate guard from accomplished upperclassman teammates like Derin Erdogan and Gemima Motema, but thanks to an absurd number of injuries, she was forced into a major role very quickly.

Quéliz started 17 games for the Huskies, and while it wasn’t always perfect, she showed glimpses of that promise and thus hope for a big leap in year two. In the last four games of the year, when the Huskies injuries woes were at their worst and it was easy for the defense to focus on defending her, Quéliz stepped up and stuffed the stat sheet with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2 steals per game, while shooting 35% from beyond the arc. A lot is going to be asked of her on the offensive end this season and how well she rises to the occasion may determine if the Huskies are successful or not this season.

One other important piece of Quéliz’s game is that she is a solid defender despite her short stature. This should make it feasible for her to play in lineups with Maddie Vizza, which is crucial due to the Huskies lack of outside shooting beyond them. Offense will draw most of the scrutiny, but Quéliz continuing to lock in on the defensive side of the court is also crucial for Northeastern’s gameplan.

Williams comes to Northeastern by way of Longwood, where she started 39 games across the last two seasons. She began her colligate career with two years (one a redshirt season) in the CAA at James Madison. These four years of experience will give Williams a leg up when it comes to making the starting lineup the begin the season.

Williams is a pass-first guard, placing second on Longwood in assists per game last year despite starting only nine games. Her experience makes her a possible day-one starter, but it is a tough fit, with Quéliz entrenched at PG and Williams lack of outside shooting ability (only seven threes attempted last year). It is possible the Huskies could swap Williams to PG and Quéliz to the 2, but that seems shortsighted with this as a rebuilding year and thus an opportunity to get Quéliz more experience as floor general. Instead, the Huskies may hope for a young player to step up and take this spot sooner rather than later.

Even if her landing spot is ultimately coming off the bench, Williams will provide some much-needed experience to the guard room and a great option to bring the ball up the floor when the team needs a steady hand after a string of bad possessions.

Vizza, who is the longest tenured Husky, has made her game has been clear since day one: she shoots the lights out from downtown. After being blessed with a healthy start to the season for the first time since her freshman campaign in 2020, Vizza shot an insane 61% from deep on 5.6 attempts per game over her first five contests.

Unfortunately, a record-breaking season was not to be, and she shot only 29% from range thereafter. Of course, this was in large part due to the injuries that ravaged the rest of the Huskies roster, allowing defenses to key in on Vizza and the Huskies perimeter shooting in general, as just about nobody was a threat to get to the basket.

At this point in her career, five years in and after two major lower body surgeries, Vizza isn’t likely to add any other dimensions to her game. Whether or not she can compete with her freshman season mark of 44% from deep is mostly up to her health and whether her teammates can draw enough attention on the offensive end to get her open looks. Hopefully, things can come together for a vintage Vizza season this year.

Jegede transferred to Huntington Avenue this offseason after two years (including a redshirt season) at Villanova. She immediately stands out as a potential day-one difference maker at Northeastern for a number of reasons beyond just being a power conference transfer.

First, Jegede brings size to the starting five that the Huskies desperately need next to Vizza and Quéliz at 5’10”. In addition, she combines that size with agility that allows her to use that size to contest shots all over the court. Her tape shows off the ability to score in the paint through contact and using unique shot angles, something that Northeastern almost entirely lacked during their struggles last season. That slashing ability alone might be enough to cement her spot in the starting lineup, but she also has potential as a shooter as well, shooting 44% in her limited opportunities for the Wildcasts last season.

This season will be a rebuilding year for the Huskies and Jegede might be the highest potential player they’ve got (plus, she’s got plenty of eligibility left), so look for her to get a lot of opportunities to refine her raw scoring talent this year.

Kiefer shocked everyone last season with an extremely out-of-left-field development: the green light to take threes. It started out with a 2 for 2 performance from deep against Boston college, which seemed like it might be a one time thing to surprise a power conference opponent in a game where scoring in the paint wasn’t much of an option. But by the end of the year, Kiefer was averaging 3.2 threes attempted per game over her last six games- more than the number of twos she attempted despite being the tallest Husky on the team.

Unfortunately, things cooled off for Kiefer after that 2 for 2 against BC, as she averaged under 29% from deep on the year. But with an offseason to work on things, it’s certainly possible she can increase that average a few points. The Huskies are desperate for shooting, or at least threats that their opponents will have to pay attention to on the perimeter, which gives Kiefer a leg up in an extremely crowded center and power forward room. She also remains tied for the tallest player on the squad.

It is very possible, perhaps even likely, that veteran Asha Parker is the game one starting center, but with Kiefer’s potential shooting chops potential, and remaining eligibility for future seasons to build towards, look for her to grab a starting spot at some point soon.

Parker returns for year four with Northeastern following an injury-shortened season last year. Prior to an injury in late January that ended her campaign, Parker was posting her best season as a Husky, scoring six points per game on an even 50% shooting. Her game is pretty cut and dry as a traditional center, scoring from the paint and protecting the rim at 6’2″, though she did take a few threes last year for the first time in her colligate career.

Parker is likely to begin the season as the Huskies starting center due to her experience and steady play at the position over the last three years. But due to her lack of shooting, possible lack of remaining eligibility to build towards (depending on if she acquired an injury waiver for last season), the time Oralye Kiefer spent as a starter while Parker was hurt last year, and the huge amount of young centers and power forwards NU is bringing in this season, that spot is likely to be under siege quickly. To keep it, Parker will have to step things up another notch this season.

Summerville is one of five freshmen joining the Huskies this season, all of whom will have to battle it out for minutes in a crowded 15-player locker room. But Summerville might be the most talented player out of all of the rookies, possessing great size, lateral agility, and even the ability to cut through a defense with her dribble. She could play the 5 in smaller lineups, showcasing rim protection skills in her tape, but considering her bevy of other talents and the Huskies large number of centers, she is probably best utilized at the 4, or maybe even the 3 (though NU probably doesn’t have a big enough player to put at the 4 to make her the 3 in any given lineup).

Summerville’s size should help her adapt to the college game quickly enough to contribute on defense and in the paint as she goes through any freshman struggles. Hopefully by year’s end, she is lighting things up as a dynamic, multi-level scorer from the paint, post, and elbow. If she can carve up defenders like her tape and add a bit more touch, an outside shot could be the only thing keeping her from superstar numbers. Look for her to stand out amongst the Husky newcomers.

Holohan is another multi-talented, very tall freshman who might end up at multiple different positions. Holohan is agile, with the speed and reactions to play all over the court and be a threat with the ball in her hands at multiple different positions (she was actually listed at SF and SG in high school despite her size). Another key to Holohan’s potential is her shooting chops- she possesses solid form from three point range, with her size giving her plenty of space to make up for a slow release.

Holohan’s game will likely take some time to adapt to the colligate level unless she’s shooting the lights out from day one, since it’ll be tough to stick with smaller twitchy guards on defense until she gets some experience. But once she gains some experience, the growing pains could be well worth it. Holohan could be exactly what the Huskies need: a scoring threat that needs defensive attention on the perimeter, but who can exert pressure on the interior at a high level as well. Another high-potential freshman to watch.

Larrañaga comes to Northeastern by way of Florida National University, a NAIA school where she averaged nearly 19 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the floor last season. She also has experience playing for the Guatemalan national team. On film, she demonstrates both great passing ability and vision, as well as crafty cuts to the basket, solid pull-up game, and poise around the rim. These skills, as well as her experience at the college basketball level, give her a leg up in the crowded race for minutes for NU.

Larrañaga’s passing chops could give her a chance to push for the off-the-bench point guard job, where she’ll compete with Bailey Williams, Marian Turnbull, and María Sánchez Pitarch, but her size (she’s the Huskies second tallest guard after Abby Jegede) could allow her to play minutes at the 2 or 3 as well. It is extremely difficult to parse who out of NU’s eight newcomers is most likely to soak up the bulk of the minutes, but Larrañaga is in a great spot to make big contributions.

Greene arrives at NU after a highly accomplished high school career, averaging 21 points and 6 rebounds per game as a senior and scoring over 1000 points in her career at Eastern High School. She even picked up an NIL brand development deal with a company named Access 2 Equity, a deal that A2E called the first of its kind for any player in the city of Washington DC.

Greene is a bit undersized, but makes up for that with her top calling card: long range shooting. The Huskies lacked shooting last year, and if Greene can help address that weakness, that will get her minutes even if she needs time to improve other skills and learn the college game. In her limited tape, she demonstrates the ability to shoot off the dribble, not just the catch- another thing NU did not have in their toolkit last year from their top shooters. Coach Edward-Lloyd also likes her quickness and energy on offense and defense.

Hailing from Valencia, Spain, Sánchez Pitarch brings a variety of experience to the Huskies, including averaging 17.5 points per game on 52% shooting in the 2023-24 Spanish Junior National Championships. She has the unique distinction of being listed specifically as a “point guard” on the NU roster- all other players are listed merely as “guard,” “forward,” or “center.” Coach Edwards-Lloyd called her a “true point guard,” giving her the most clearly defined role of any newcomer.

It is very difficult to know exactly what level of competition Sánchez Pitarch faced in her carrer thus far, or if the style of play she played with and against is similar to NCAA college hoops. As such, predicting her immediate impact is neigh impossible. A pass-first PG could be great for the Huskies off the bench, but it’s a big transition on and off the court from Europe to Boston. The first few games for Sánchez Pitarch should be telling- if she gets a lot of minutes, her role this year should stay large, but if not, this could be a year to watch and learn for her.

When we last saw Clement, she was coming off the bench and providing 10 minutes per game for the Huskies CAA regular season title-winning squad in 2022-23. Unfortunately, she missed all of last season with injury. Clement’s calling card when she arrived on Huntington Avenue supposed to be her shooting, but that didn’t really manifest in her first two seasons, as she shot just 28% from beyond the arc as a freshman and 24% as a sophomore.

Clement didn’t bring much else to the table beyond shooting and good size at the guard position, averaging well under half an assist per game and providing adequate but unspectacular defense. The Huskies are desperate for shooting, so she will get another chance to make good on her potential in that facet of the game, but if her shooting percentage is still hovering around 25 to 30 percent after a few weeks, it will be hard to justify giving her minutes over younger players in a rebuilding year. Hopefully, she can get her shot going this season.

Turnbull begins her third season with the Huskies without much of a calling card. She was forced into action more often last season than as a freshman due to the Huskies injury troubles, playing 11 minutes per game across 23 contests, but scored under 2 points and dished out less than half an assist per game. One small positive to glean is that she did manage a 37% three point field goal clip over 27 attempts, but that isn’t much volume. She also didn’t reach the free throw line a single time all year, a byproduct of not taking the ball to the basket.

While she will open the year with the advantage of experience, Turnbull will find herself hard-pressed to earn minutes over younger players with higher potential in a rebuilding year like this figures to be. If she is to keep her spot in the lineup, she’ll need to make substantial strides in at least one key category between facilitating, three point shooting, or driving to the paint.

Carlisle was forced into the rotation (and even briefly the starting lineup) in her freshman season last year due to the injury barrage that the Huskies had to deal with. The Huskies were likely hoping to keep her as a reserve for the majority of the season to adapt to the college game, so it isn’t surprising that things were a bit uneven in year one for Carlisle, who shot 46% from the floor (exclusively from the paint) and 44% at the free throw line.

Carlisle has the size and strength to succeed as a rim protector and rebounder, but if she is to win minutes at center this season, she’ll need to up the offensive portion of her game significantly. The Huskies have two entrenched veteran centers in Asha Parker and Oralye Kiefer and a number of promising freshman who will compete with Carlisle for minutes. Many of them are better suited for the 3 or 4, which could help Carlisle’s case to be the third center, but it’s hard to imagine her passing Parker or Kiefer in the rotation, barring injury or a full-on youth movement to build toward future seasons.

Staten rounds out Northeastern’s five-player freshman class. She’s a true center, being the only player NU lists as a center on their roster (as opposed to forward). She scored 16.5 points per game in her senior season, along with a staggering 15 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a steal per contest. In her tape, she displays solid rim protection, great strength fighting down in the restricted area on both slides of the floor, and developing touch on shots.

With the Huskies top two center spots likely spoken for between Oralye Kiefer and Asha Parker and potential center minutes from other freshmen like Maya Summerville and Taylor Holohan in smaller lineups, Staten finds herself competing with Sophia Carlisle for the role of 3rd true center. Unless the Huskies go full-on youth movement to build towards future seasons or an injury, Staten and Carlisle may be blocked for the time being from moving up the depth chart.

Priscilla Edwards-Lloyd began her Huskies head coaching tenure last season after being hired away from an assistant job at Clemson to replace former NU coach Bridgette Mitchell, who took an offer at Fordham after leading the Huskies to a regular season title in 2022-23. The team Edwards-Lloyd inherited hoped to repeat their performance from the prior season and contend for a conference title, but it was not to be. Northeastern was ravaged by a number of injures that borders on comical, including the team’s two stars Derin Erdogan and Gemima Motema playing through major ailments that severely hampered their performances. At one point, NU had to forfeit games due to lack of healthy players, an issue which should hopefully never happen again now that the Huskies boast a larger roster of 15 players this season.

While it was obvious a disappointing start for Edwards-Lloyd’s tenure considering NU’s championship aspirations, she clearly deservers a mulligan considering the injuries she had to coach around. This season will be quite a different task, as the Huskies championship window with last year’s core has sadly closed due to the departure of four of last year’s five starters, including the aforementioned Erdogan and Motema (who is still rehabbing her injury from last year; whether she will return to the team next year is unknown). Edwards-Lloyd has brought in a class of eight new players, including five freshmen and three transfers. This year, she’ll need to build towards the future, preparing this foundational class for success down the line.

Edwards-Lloyd’s coaching staff is made up of coaches from a number of different backgrounds. Assistant Sean Smith joined the team this summer after being the CEO and lead skills trainer at a private player training company Sticks Skills Training (he also has experience as an assistant at other schools like St. Francis and Rider). Assistant James Spinelli joined her staff last season from a previous job at Notre Dame, while assistant Nicole Ambrose, who was hired away from USC Upstate, was elevated from Director of Operations last year to a full assistant job this season. Natalie Gallant, who was a graduate assistant last year, rounds out the staff as the new Director of Operations. Together, they’ll work to turn the new-look Huskies into a team with a new identity and hopefully bright days ahead.