Welcome to the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Tipoff for the 2018-19 Season. Today, we feature the George Mason Patriots.
George Mason (Predicted A-10 Finish: 8th)
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The task at hand for George Mason? Build on last year’s glorious season when the Patriots set the school record for wins with 24 and produced the program’s first winning season in 14 years. Their 11 non-conference victories were the most for a Patriots team in 30 seasons. Of course, conference player of the year Natalie Butler was a huge reason why. The 6-5 center, who previously played at UConn, led the nation in rebounding (16.6 rpg) and double-doubles (33).
The good news is Nicole Cardano-Hillary made a name for herself as a freshman, winning conference Rookie of the Year honors in addition to being named to the A-10 All-Defensive team. The Spaniard set the program’s single-season freshman scoring mark with 604 points; Cardano-Hillary scored in double figures in 33 of the team’s 34 games.
“If you look at what she did as a freshman, it’s pretty remarkable,” said Coach Nyla Milleson.
The same could be said of her Patriots, who recorded their first postseason victory in program history by defeating Stephan F. Austin, 82-75, in the first round of the WNIT.
The Patriots are seeking a second straight trip to the postseason. Here’s a look at their prospects:
Coach: Nyla Milleson, 6th season at George Mason 70-86, 19th season overall 359-209
Last year: 24-10, 11-5 (Patriots advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Atlantic 10 Championship, falling to eventual league champion George Washington 64-59; advanced to the second round of the WNIT where they lost to eventual runner-up Virginia Tech 78-69)
They’ll miss: Natalie Butler, 19.2 ppg, the top scorer in the Atlantic 10 and Division I's leading rebounder, who spent one season at George Mason and became the first Patriot to be drafted by the WNBA, selected 30th by the Dallas Wings.
Impact returners: 5-7 sophomore guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary, 17.8 ppg, the A-10 Rookie of the Year and third in the league in scoring and conference steals leader with 84; 6-0 junior guard/forward Jacy Bolton (9.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg); 5-9 junior guard Sarah Kaminski (6.5 ppg).
Newbies of note: 6-1 freshman forward Devyn Wilson scored more than 1,000 points at Norcross (Georgia) High; 5-7 freshman guard Livija Kaktaite, a member of several Lithuania junior national teams.
Reasons to be optimistic: Butler energized the Patriots last season, setting the tone for work ethic and raising expectations that this team can contend in the Atlantic 10 – a sentiment that certainly affected her teammates returning who want to prove the 2017-18 season was no fluke.
Guard play will be critical for these Patriots, and for Cardano-Hillary, who was arguably the top two-way guard in the conference last season when she shouldered a heavy load as a freshman.
“We put an awful lot on her,” said Milleson, who is happy to have junior guard Alexsis Grate healthy again so that Cardano-Hillary is not the lone point guard on the team. Grate sat out the first two months of the season with an injury. Kaktaite, who won a gold medal in 2015 with Lithuania at the European Championship, is also expected to see time at point.
Kaminski shot the ball well in preseason and Milleson anticipates the junior to improve even more from the 3-point line. Kaminski shot .342 from beyond the arc last season.
Finally, Finnish sophomore Marika Korpinen, who started the last two games of the season, looks much improved offensively and brings a leadership that is contagious to the practice gym.
“Without question, she sets the tone every day,” Milleson said. “Most days she’s the first one in practice and the last one to leave.”
X-factor: Who’s going to rebound? Nobody is going to match Butler’s consistency on the boards, but the Patriots will need their guards to pull their weight and use their speed given the lack of size in the lineup.
Circle the date(s): Dec. 6, Delaware visits Fairfax in a rematch of old conference rivals.
Bottom line: The Patriots have something to prove and want to build on last season’s success. Reforming their identify minus Butler will be a challenge, but having three years more of Cardano-Hillary will help transition this team to life without Nat.