If we had to anticipate an impact transfer for the 2017-18 year, we’d go with 6-foot-5 center Natalie Butler, a graduate student at George Mason, immediately eligible for the season.
That’s former UConn Husky Natalie Butler.
Butler averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 62 games in her two years at UConn (she spent her freshman season at Georgetown). During the 2016-17 season, she helped the Huskies reach their 10th straight Final Four by averaging 5.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.9 minutes a game. She played in 35 games, shooting 50 percent from the field, blocking 34 shots and dishing out 37 assists.
Swapping Storrs for Fairfax made sense given Butler’s pursuit of a master’s in global affairs with a concentration in global government and public management. It’s a program UConn, which discontinued its international business school during her time there, does not offer.
“For me, academics was really important,” said Butler, a wanna-be consultant who graduated with her bachelor’s in communication at UConn. “I’ve always had a big interest in global affairs. I actually took 10 years of German growing up.
Welkomnen zu, george mason uni, Natalie!
Butler needs no introduction to her new school having grown up 20 minutes away in Fairfax Station and playing previously for AAU team, Fairfax Stars. Being so close to home means regular jogs at Burke Lake Park are on the table again, as is her mom’s juicy beef tenderloin (the dish she’s happiest to be driving distance away from).
Another perk: the milder winters in Virginia.
“I don’t mind not seeing the heavy snowfall,” Butler admitted. “It was crazy in Connecticut. That was a shocker for me; it was like living in Antarctica. They have these wind tunnels that go through the campus up in Connecticut, so it was definitely an adjustment.”
Especially refreshing about this particular transfer situation (to Butler and to us) is how it was handled. It’s commonplace for a kid to leave a program and for the school to release a cursory statement at best; sometimes the player’s name mysteriously disappears from the roster. In this case, UConn issued a release with more than a generic “best wishes” quote from the coach.
Natalie Butler
“I have really enjoyed getting to know Natalie and her family,” UConn’s Geno Auriemma said. “I understand why she has decided to transfer to George Mason and am happy that she will be able to play right away while pursuing her postgraduate degree. We’ll miss Nat and everyone at UConn wishes her all the best in the future.”
The classy sendoff made an impression on Butler as did how the welcome she received from George Mason coach Nyla Milleson and her staff. Butler also considered Delaware, but likes the fit she found at Mason, where she watched a handful of games growing up.
“Getting my master’s is a huge incentive for me,” she said. “It was great that ((UConn) was supportive and said they would do anything to help me play. That was huge. They didn’t have to do that.”
During the learning curve at George Mason, Butler promises to bring a strong work ethic to every drill and every game. In case you’ve lived in a cave and never seen the Huskies play, that’s a staple of Geno’s program; down one or up 50, the energy level doesn’t drop.
“The biggest thing is going hard at everything you do and communicating and trying to be a good teammate,” she said. “I think it’s hard coming in to a new program; you’ve got to learn the ins and outs. But one thing you can definitely do is go hard all the time. That’s what I try to do every day. And communicate and be a good teammate.”
Butler knows what it takes to compete at the highest level; her two years at UConn translated to the 2016 national championship.
She dubs winning an NCAA title, “pretty cool. It was a phenomenal experience. It’s a team effort, and I think people forget that. I’m not just talking about player; it’s coaches, trainers, strength and conditioning coaches. It’s a full team effort. Coach Auriemma always talks about making a play. It’s not just the actors on stage who make it work. Everyone contributes: the writers, the ones who do they lighting; they make the whole play work. I feel very fortunate I was a part of it.”
Now it’s the Patriots turn to benefit from Butler. Her minutes were limited on a well-stocked Huskies roster, but we expect to see her play big times minutes at Mason During her freshman season at Georgetown, her 425 boards were the most in Big East history.
George Mason has two additional transfers eligible in 6-1 forward Taylor Byrne (Seton Hall) and 5-7 guard Camden Musgrave (Central Connecticut State). Adding in four freshmen and the return of Jacy Bolton, who averaged 8.3 ppg and 4.7 rpg last year as a freshman) pique our interest in what this Mason team will look like when the pieces come together. The Patriots open in the Preseason WNIT on Nov. 10 against WNIT champion Michigan.
Butler is stoked for this season and beyond; she’s hopeful for a career overseas. For that to happen she know she has to get stronger off the dribble and finish her collegiate career with a bang.
And while it’s tempting to pick her brain about the UConn experience, make no mistake. She’s all Patriot now.
“When you graduate form a school and when you transfer, you close that chapter,” she said. “You really have to start over and integrate yourself in the next program. There’s no going back in time. Now it’s what can I do now in my current place and what can I learn now from my coaches.”