The first week of the women’s basketball season is in the books, with the Bulldogs racing out to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 2024-25 season. Two dominant offensive performances against Tennessee Tech and Lipscomb were followed by a stout defensive showing at Central Michigan.
Here are three things we learned from week one of the regular season:
- Tamar Singer will be the Dawgs most important player this season
The transfer guard from Miami, who garnered All-MAC Defensive Team recognition a season ago, showed exactly why head coach Maria Marchesano brought her to Indianapolis. Through three games, the junior guard leads the team with 15 steals and has more than double the amount of assists than the next-highest Bulldog with 28.
Even in games where buckets are not falling for her, Singer has the ability to be a game-changer — a quality highlighted by the 13 assists she had in the Lipscomb game where she also had an 0-of-9 start from the field.
Singer’s strong defensive presence and ability to command the floor at all times should provide the team with a valuable asset as the competition grows fiercer.
- Still plenty of room for improvement
Despite the nice start to the season for the Bulldogs, there have been some growing pains from a team with 11 fresh faces plus a new head coach.
Through three games, the team has committed 52 turnovers — including 24 giveaways against the Chippewas. While the defense has forced 79 turnovers in those contests, Butler will need to be strong with the basketball as the season progresses, especially if the defense has an off night.
Additionally, the team was plagued with slower starts in its last two contests — scoring 19 and 17 first-quarter points after opening the season with 31 against Tennessee Tech. This allowed both Lipscomb and Central Michigan to stay competitive through halftime. While Butler righted the ship in the second half of both contests, it may prove unsustainable as Big East play draws closer and the quality of competition increases.
- Depth will be a major factor all season long
The Dawgs have trotted out the same starters in all three games — Singer, Nevaeh and Saniya Jackson, Lili Krasovec and Judit Valero. However, one can not overlook the contributions of Karina Bystry, Jacy Weisbrod, Taya Ellis and Laniah Wills off the bench.
Ellis is third on the team in points so far with 31, despite having only the ninth-most minutes on the team. Additionally, Ellis leads the Bulldogs in rebounding with 22 — including 12 on the offensive glass — providing the Bulldogs with more second-chance opportunities.
Meanwhile, Bystry and Weisbrod each have 26 points, good for sixth on the team. Both have made exactly half of their three-point attempts with Weisbrod being the more high-volume shooter of the duo, making four more threes than Bystry. However, Bystry has been able to create opportunities for her teammates, dishing out two assists per game and making her third-best on the team.
Wills has been able to display her rebounding ability, especially on the defensive end. The first-year guard trails only Saniya in defensive rebounds through three games and recorded the first double-double of her collegiate career in just her second game.
All four off-the-bench players have the ability to step up for the Bulldogs on any given night and could determine just how well the season goes for Butler.