Mel Daley officially signs with Northwestern

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Months after announcing her commitment to Northwestern, signing day still came as a shock for Mel Daley.

“It really is kind of mind-blowing,” Daley told The Next’s Jackie Powell. “I just, I think about all the times that I wake up early at five in the morning complaining, like, what, why, why am I getting up this early? Or like staying up late shooting around after practice or in the backyard. And just like, right there, I was like, all my hard work paid off, it really did.”

The New York guard announced her commitment to the Wildcats back in March and officially signed her national letter of intent last week.

“We were so excited when she decided to come to Northwestern, because we feel her quickness, speed and basketball IQ would make us, or anybody, instantly better,” head coach Joe McKeown said in an NU release. “She will be fun to watch for our fans, and hard to guard for our opponents.”

Daley said she will bring passing and up-tempo play to Northwestern’s offense, and disruptive defense on the other end of the floor. She hopes to run the point in Evanston after averaging 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game her junior season, picking up where the Wildcats’ graduating class leaves off.

“I mean, Lindsey Pulliam, Veronica Burton, they are insane,” Daley told Powell. “And hopefully they do the same thing again this year and when I come I hope to lead them further.”

Mercy Ademusayo, Jillian Brown, Caileigh Walsh and Hailey Weaver join Daley in Northwestern’s 2025 class. Since their commitments, the group has spent time getting to know one another virtually.

“We all bring different things. Talking about the differences, like how in Michigan, they say pop instead of soda, just stuff like that is very weird but cool,” Daley told Powell. “I mean, it’s been awesome. They’re really cool and I see myself having a lot of fun with them and the rest of the team.”

Daley has watched her fellow classmates play and likes the future fit together. She’s played against Walsh in the past and was impressed by the 6’3 forward’s game.

“She’s a big, she’s huge,” Daley told Powell. “She brings a three-point shot, she can body people down, stuff like that.”

Daley and Walsh round out the No. 10 recruiting class in the nation, according to ESPN, and hope to keep Northwestern in Big Ten contention in the coming years.