INDIANAPOLIS – Head Coach Kurt Godlevske loves the depth on the 2017-18 roster and this specific group of young ladies will allow the Bulldogs to show opponents different looks. Alisha Aube, Taylor Buford, Sarah Humphrey, Naira Caceres, and Katherine Strong can all play inside and out. Buford is the lone upperclassmen in the mix while Aube is the lone freshman on the roster. Humphrey will look for more playing time this season, however Caceres and Strong will be ineligible to play this season due to the NCAA transfer rule.
 
#3 Alisha Aube
6-0 Freshman
Westbrook, Maine
Thornton Academy
 
Alisha Aube is the lone freshman on the 2017 Butler women's basketball roster. A four-year starter at Thornton Academy High School, Aube averaged 18 points, five rebounds and three assists per game during her senior season. She became just the second player in Thornton Academy history to score 1,000 career points. Career-high totals for Aube include a 31-point performance vs Biddeford and pulling down 14 rebounds vs. Scarborough.
 
"We recruited Alisha for her range, her high 3-point shooting percentage and her overall ability," Godlevske stated. "She's a special shooter with some height. We can play her on the wing or as a pick-and-pop four. She still has some things to work on at this level, but she is getting better every day."
 
#4 Taylor Buford
5-11 Junior
Long Grove, Ill.
Adlai Stevenson
 
Taylor Buford started in 15 games for Butler last year and averaged 5.7 points per game. She logged 20 minutes of playing time per contest and improved her all-around game. Buford hit 14 more 3-point field goals as a sophomore than she did during her rookie year and also nearly doubled her amount of made field goals. Buford's shot was not the only thing that improved over the offseason. She was much more active on the defensive glass and nearly doubled her assist total from her freshman campaign.
 
"Taylor is a playmaker," Godlevske said. "She finds ways to create extra possessions for the team and she can score 10 to 12 points on any given night. Having more depth on this team will help Taylor because we won't have to play her out of position. She saw time at the four last year, but this year we can get her back out on the wing where she is more comfortable."
 
#10 Naira Caceres
6-1 Sophomore
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
C.B. Islas Canarias
 
Naira Caceres will have to sit out the 2017-18 season due to the NCAA transfer rule. She spent her freshman season at Maine playing as a Black Bear. Caceres is a versatile forward that was a Blue Star Europe five-star recruit. She played in 34 games at Maine, making eight starts. Caceres averaged 3.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 19 minutes of playing time. She averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds for her club team in Spain.
 
"Naira is a position-less player for us in a very positive way," Godlevske explained. "Teams will have to pick their poison on how they want to defend her. She can shoot 3-pointers, put the ball on the floor, and she can play in the paint. She has that crafty European style of play and has a variety of moves around the basket."
 
#14 Sarah Humphrey
6-0 Sophomore
Crete, Ill.
Crete-Monee
 
Sarah Humphrey played in 24 games for the Bulldogs during her freshman season, making three starts. She scored a career-high seven points at Marquette in limited action. Humphrey will look to take the next step in her career during her sophomore season. She averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists per game during her senior season in high school at Crete-Monee.
 
"The game is starting to slow down for Sarah," Godlevske explained. "Sarah is extremely long and can handle the ball. She is definitely a kid that can create for us. Sarah also brings a physical presence to this team which is much needed for us. We love her toughness."
 
#21 Katherine Strong
5-11 Junior
Chicago Heights, Ill.
Bloom
 
Katherine Strong will sit out during the 2017-18 season due to the NCAA transfer rule. She saw limited action during her two seasons as a student-athlete at VCU. Strong averaged 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds as a sophomore, an improvement over her 2.2 points and 1.5 rebound average as a freshman. Strong was a highly touted recruit coming out of Bloom High School, but an ACL injury derailed her junior season.
 
"Katherine is a super-tough, athletic, grind-it-out player that came to Butler from VCU," Godlevske stated. "She's a Bulldog with the basketball and extremely difficult to defend. Once her perimeter game comes along she will be a very good player in this league."