Women's Basketball | 4/17/2018 3:32:00 PM
FAIRFAX, Va. – An historic season was celebrated on Sunday night.
The George Mason women's basketball team held its annual postseason banquet at the Johnson Center, honoring its student-athletes' achievements along with recognizing a record-breaking 2017-18 campaign.
The coaching staff handed out awards for Most Valuable Player (graduate student
Natalie Butler), Outstanding Freshman (freshman Nicole Cardano-Hillary), Most Improved (freshman
Marika Korpinen) and Patriot Pride (redshirt junior
Casey Davis). They also honored sophomores
Sarah Kaminski and
Jacy Bolton with team academic awards. Senior
Tayler Dodson, sophomore
Allie McCool and Davis received the team's community service awards.
The Patriots also recognized Butler and Cardano-Hillary for national and Atlantic 10 awards they received last month. Butler, who was taken 30th overall by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA Draft on Thursday, was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and named Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America. The Fairfax Station, Va., native also was named to the Atlantic 10 First Team All-Conference Team, the All-Defensive Team and the All-Academic Team.
Cardano-Hillary, a point guard from Madrid, Spain, was also recognized for earning A-10 Freshman of the Year honors, Third Team All-Conference accolades, All-Rookie Team honors and All-Defensive Team accolades.
In addition, the Patriots honored several players for finishing in the top two in team statistical honors or in the top 15 in the A-10 or nation in individual categories. Players recognized included Butler (points, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and double-doubles), Cardano-Hillary (points, steals, 3-pointers made, 3-point field goal percentage and free-throw percentage), Kaminski (3-pointers made and 3-point field-goal percentage), Dodson (assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and rebounds), sophomore
Jacy Bolton (free-throw percentage, steals and blocks) and freshman
Camarie Gatling (field-goal percentage).
Mason also recognized their three seniors – guard
Camden Musgrave, Butler and Dodson.
The Patriots finished 20-17-18 with a 24-10 record, setting the school record for wins, finishing fourth in the Atlantic 10 for their best conference finish in 14 years and made the postseason for the first time since 2004. They advanced to the second round of the WNIT, defeating Stephen F. Austin in the first round for their first postseason victory in program history.
