Graduate transfer Shay Frederick calls a play during Butler’s practice on Oct. 6. Photo by Lauren Hough.

CALEB DENORME | SPORTS REPORTER | cdenorme@butler.edu 

1. The Bulldogs will have a double-digit win total this season 

This prediction is not very bold, but it is a good way to start off. The women’s basketball squad had a down year last season, going 1-27 before getting bounced in the first round of the Big East tournament by Seton Hall. Despite last year’s struggles, there is reason for optimism this year due to a new batch of transfers, new recruits and a new head coach in Austin Parkinson. Parkinson comes in looking to make this program more competitive for Butler fans to enjoy. Under Parkinson’s guidance the Bulldogs have the potential to be a dark-horse team that cracks the double digit win mark this season, giving the new coaching staff and team a good first year to build on.

2. Butler will go 10-10 in Big East conference play 

How the team fares in the Big East will be a big challenge going forward. The conference is looking incredibly strong this season — led by powerhouses UConn and Creighton — but the Bulldogs could come out with some surprises in conference play. Again, the story of the season for this Butler team will be setting a foundation for the program going forward, and a good way to do that is by going .500 in the Big East. The conference is always going to be tough to play in because all these teams know each other so well, but this newly built Bulldogs team could come out and surprise people with how they perform. 

3. Graduate transfers will lead the Bulldogs 

Butler was fortunate this offseason to secure the talents of three graduate transfer players in Rachel McLimore, Shay Frederick and Kelsy Taylor. McLimore played under Parkinson at IUPUI and decided to follow him to Butler, giving her the opportunity to inflict pain on opponents for the Bulldogs. Frederick was a standout at Valparaiso, racking up Missouri Valley Conference awards throughout her time there. Taylor started 77 games out of the 106 games she played in at Trine, averaging 8.4 ppg as a senior. All these transfers are huge for the Bulldogs team and for Parkinson as he attempts to establish a winning culture here at Butler. These transfers’ leadership and athletic skill will be vital to the Bulldogs’ success this season. 

4. Butler will shock Indiana for a huge upset win 

Now this is bold. Indiana was ranked 17th by ESPN in their women’s college basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2022-23, and is a top notch program playing against high quality Big Ten opponents. That being said, upsets do tend to happen, especially in the world of college basketball. The Bulldogs have a chance to beat the Hoosiers for the first time since 2012 and only the second time ever. Why this year? This year Butler will come into the season hyped up with all the promise around the program and will be even more pumped up going into a road game down in Bloomington. This would be a statement win for Parkinson and his Butler program.

5. The Bulldogs will make it into the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament 

Last season, the Bulldog’s Big East Tournament run was relatively short, getting bounced in the first round by Seton Hall. With all the changes the program has made and the players the team has brought in, watch out for Butler to make a run to the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. The Bulldogs made it to the quarterfinals during the 2019-20 season when they fell to Seton Hall 83-57. While not many people in the Big East may take Butler seriously after last year, this is a way for Parkinson and his squad to announce to the rest of the conference that they need to watch out for the Bulldogs.