The women’s basketball team introduced new practice jerseys during the offseason. Photo by Darcy Leber.
NHU-HAN BUI | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | hbui@butler.edu
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.edu
Entering head coach Austin Parkinson’s fourth year in charge, the women’s basketball team is coming off a season with several highs and lows. The Bulldogs set a single-season attendance record, posted an upset win against Indiana and sold out Hinkle for the first time in program history. However, the team failed to post a winning record for the fifth consecutive year and lost key players to the transfer portal.
Now with a retooled roster — featuring only three returners — and a renewed sense of urgency, the Bulldogs are aiming to flip the script. Defense has been a central part of this new beginning, and the Dawgs are making it known by wearing their “Defense Lives Here” practice jerseys.
Sophomore guard Lily Zeinstra feels the practice jerseys help instill the importance of an aspect the team is looking to incorporate more strongly in games.
“Coach P loves his defense,” Zeinstra said. “I feel like that sometimes gets lost in people’s minds; they’re really concerned about scoring and performing offensively. But defense wins championships, and I think having that on our jersey is a daily reminder that it’s important.”
In these early practices, Parkinson pointed out junior guard Neveah Jackson’s immediate impact on the court, along with redshirt sophomore forward Mallory Miller’s shooting prowess on the floor.
“Miller has really been fun to watch,” Parkinson said. “She can play on the perimeter for us, she shoots threes [and] she posts up. She’s been really impressive. She’s one that every day has just gotten better and better. I would say Jackson’s been our best defensive player. She just flies around. She’s really, really fast.”
Looking back at last season, there were seven matchups that were lost by less than 10 points. Sophomore forward Gabby Wilke believes that the stronger defense and faster pace of play that the team has been working on in practice can create more successful endings in these close matchups, especially when the Bulldogs enter conference play.
“I think this team is really focused on defense and pace,” Wilke said. “We want to play fast [because] the Big East is a very fast conference, and in order to be successful this year, we’re gonna have to really emphasize defense. So I think [those] have been two of the biggest things that this team is gonna need to do and we’ve really emphasized [that] in practice.”
The new roster brings fresh opportunities for the team, and Parkinson thinks this year’s squad has a work ethic unlike any other.
“Because we were bringing so many new faces in, we were able to get complimentary parts, so we really didn’t have two of the same [type of player],” Parkinson said. “The neat part is they’re all kind of learning at the same speed. It’s the hardest-working team I’ve coached in my entire career. Every day they’ve come in with an attitude [to] work and get better. Obviously, there’s things that we have to dial back so we’re on the same page, but it’s a really fun group.”
Especially with a fresh slate of faces, developing team chemistry is never an easy task. Although the coaches host team activities to aid that development, Parkinson has seen the team jell together on their own.
“It’s been a real natural deal,” Parkinson said. “We always do things as coaches, whether it’s [going] to an [Indiana] Fever game, Back 9 [or] escape rooms. We were having a meeting this summer, and we were talking about, ‘Hey, what’s something else we ought to do?’, and one of the coaches chimed in, ‘They literally hang out as a team all the time.’ I’ve coached for 16 years and there’s years that that doesn’t happen. They seem to be really close, and you can see it in our practice.”
With a new focus in mind, Butler plans on taking the season one game at a time. However, there are a few matchups on its slate that stand out more than others.
“I think we look at every game the same way going into it,” Wilke said. “We’re gonna play hard every game. But I think two of the biggest ones that I’m excited for is the Indiana game at Indiana and UConn, [as someone who is] transferring into [the Big East]. Every team wants to play UConn.”
The Indiana matchup — accompanied by a game against Columbia and a trip to Florida for the Fort Myers Tip-Off — is one of the three upcoming non-conference matchups against NCAA Tournament teams that will put the Bulldogs to the test.
With these challenging contests on the schedule, Parkinson knows early growing pains may be inevitable, but the long-term goal remains clear.
“We want to be playing our best basketball by conference [play],” Parkinson said. “As we get this group together, I think what we look like in November versus January versus February, it’s a team that has a chance to just get better and better and better.”
To prepare for those tougher matchups, the Bulldogs will ease into the season with an exhibition game against Taylor on Oct. 28 before tipping off with a Kid’s Day matchup against Wright State on Nov. 3.
