Senior guard Melannie Daley mainly operates in one spot — the midrange.
But Wednesday, she expanded her play from the perimeter to beyond the arc, drilling her second three-pointer of the year in Northwestern’s 68-64 loss to Indiana.
The sixth player’s 17-point effort was part of a seven-game double-digit scoring streak. She also notched six assists and one steal.
“I was feeling extra confident,” Daley said. “I’ve been working on my three, taking it where it makes sense. … When I hit a couple of shots in a row, I feel good. I was just trying to help the team win.”
Daley started 2-of-2 from the field before cooling in the second quarter.
Late in the game, she was vital to keep NU in the contest as she sank three mid-range shots in the final five minutes.
Notably, Daley dropped in a contested fadeaway from the elbow of the key with under two minutes to put the ’Cats ahead for the first time since the opening minutes.
“I was looking at time and score and just trying to give the team a spark to get us going,” Daley said. “That was going through my mind — trying to win and get to the basket.”
Against Indiana, Daley played all but four minutes — her most in a regulation game this season. It was also the third straight contest in which she played 30 or more minutes, a mark she has only reached once all season.
After leading all NU scorers with an average of 13.3 points per game in 2023-24, Daley has averaged just 10.8 points so far this year. She had an “undisclosed” designation on the availability report to start the season and played fewer minutes than usual.
But, Daley has begun to find her footing again as she sparks solo-scoring runs to bolster team momentum. Indiana coach Teri Moren said she remembers when she scored 24 points the last time the two squads faced off in February 2024.
“Daley was really good, as she was last year against us,” Moren said.
Coach Joe McKeown said Daley could be the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year because of her ability to inject energy into and change games. He added that the mid-range is being scouted, saying she can make difficult shots like the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.
Daley told The Daily she has her sights set on playing professionally, a dream she said would fuel her 2024-25 campaign.
“What looks like a tough shot is really a good shot for her,” McKeown said. “That’s what she practices every day. Mel can make tough shots.”
Daley and the ’Cats will travel to Los Angeles next for two tough games against No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 USC.
“We can compete with anyone,” Daley said. “We are using that confidence to go into UCLA and USC.”
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— Women’s Basketball: Daley drops career-high 25 points in Northwestern’s season-opening win
