Ever since she was a little girl, Natalie Butler has wanted to be just like her father. A force at the Naval Academy, Vernon Butler is second all-time in both points and rebounds and led the Midshipmen to the 1986 Elite Eight. People always told her how good her dad was when he played, and she wanted that recognition for herself one day.

She got the opportunity to build her legacy when she committed to Georgetown out of high school. After her freshman season at Georgetown where she finished fifth in the country in rebounding, Butler was looking to transfer. Her dominant performance on the boards put her on the radar of Connecticut, one of the top college basketball programs of all-time. After a few phone calls, Butler committed to play for Geno Auriemma.

Having to sit out the 2014-15 season because of NCAA transfer rules, Butler worked hard to try to gain playing time. Unfortunately, she ruptured a ligament in her thumb before the 2015-16 season. The injury required surgery and forced her to miss over half of the season. Butler settled in to a small role, averaging 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds, on the 2015-16 national championship team.

“It was surreal to be a part of that,” said Butler. “To be with some of the best players in the world was incredible. I learned so much from their program. Everything they do has a purpose, and everything is done at game speed. The intensity level is consistent, and I think that is why they have won 11 national championships. And Geno [Auriemma] is one of the best coaches in the history of college basketball.”

Butler graduated after the 2016-17 season and knew she wanted to pursue a master’s degree in global affairs. Connecticut didn’t offer that program, but George Mason did. Being from Virginia, she wanted to return home as well. Everything about George Mason was appealing, except she had to get an NCAA waiver to be eligible to compete. Butler enrolled at George Mason not knowing if she would be able to play during the 2017-18 season.

After a long summer of training as if she would be eligible, but not knowing for sure, Butler was officially cleared to play for George Mason. With her waiver cleared by the NCAA, she shifted her attention to be the Patriots’ leader on the court – something she had never had to do. Playing limited minutes at Connecticut, it was tough for Butler to prove herself as a player and a scorer. She looked to pass the ball because of the talent around her. That was a major adjustment for her at George Mason.

“When I went to Mason, the coaches really had to work on that with me,” said Butler. “I remember Coach Milleson was screaming at me to score the ball. I wanted to score, and I have always had that mindset. But not only did I want to score, I needed to score to develop my offense and prove myself. I wanted to show that I can score inside and outside. It was really important for me to go through that process. My confidence at the end of the season was much higher and I feel like a completely different player now.”

There was a reason Butler’s confidence was at an all-time high. She led George Mason to the most wins in program history as well as the Patriots first ever postseason win. She broke the NCAA record for most total rebounds in a single season and tied an NCAA record with 33 consecutive double-doubles. She dominated the A-10, leading the conference in both scoring and rebounding. She averaged 19.2 points and 16.6 rebounds in 34 games and was named A-10 Player of the Year.

Butler credits her dad for making her the player and rebounder she is today. He instilled something in her that taught her more than any fundamental drill could teach.

“Desire. I have been trained to want to rebound,” said Butler. “I remember doing rebound drills with my brother as a kid. And my brother is bigger than me, he plays basketball at Drexel. My dad made us work. As a kid, he just drilled it in my head. He knew I was going to be a post player and he would get on me and say ‘you don’t want it bad enough, Nat.’ And it wouldn’t even be the person I was guarding, but he retrained my mind to go get the basketball and want to rebound.”

Rebounding has been a huge part of her game and helped her get drafted in the third round by the Wings. But Butler knows she has work to do if she wants to make the talented 2018 roster. She is ready to come into training camp, compete and show off her skills. The Wings took a chance on her, and she is ready to prove that she is worth the risk.

Butler and the Wings will begin training camp on April 29, with the regular season tipping off in Phoenix on May 18.