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Black Hawk's Bailey Butler selected as 2021 Miss Basketball by the WBCA

02/27/2021, 2:00pm CST
By WBCA

Bailey Butler at the 2021 WIAA state tournament

Black Hawk’s Bailey Butler has been named the 2021 Miss Basketball award-winner by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association, sponsored by JustAgame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells.

"I was overwhelmed with emotion when I found out. It's awesome to be named Miss Basketball," Butler said. 

She said she looked up to Barneveld's Hannah Whitish, the 2016 Miss Basketball winner. 

"Working hard gets you places," added Butler. 

Butler is an electric point guard who affects the game on both ends of the floor. She can score at all three levels and has great court vision. Defensively, she is a strong on-ball defender who has quick hands and feet which leads to steals and deflections. 

Butler averaged a state-best 28.3 points and 7.9 assists per game, was third in steals with 6.2 per contest. She also tallied 7.8 rebounds per game for coach Mike Flanagan and the Warriors. 

The 5-foot-7 point guard shot 55.3 percent from the floor, 75.8 percent from the free throw line, and connected on 72 three-pointers. 

Black Hawk entered the state tournament with a 75-game winning streak, which is the third-longest winning streak in girls' basketball state history, before falling to Three Lakes in a Division 5 state semifinal to end the year with a 21-1 record. 

Butler helped lead the Warriors to a 103-2 record in her career, which included four state tournament appearances. Black Hawk captured the Division 5 state title when Butler was a sophomore and they finished as the Division 5 state runner-up her freshman season. 

She said she never dreamed she would be named Miss Basketball. "I was just focused on winning games." 

"Halfway through the season coach Flanagan said I could be in the discussion (for Miss Basketball) if I kept playing at the level I was," explained Butler. 

"I had no idea it would actually be possible." 

Coach Flanagan said that Bailey is the ultimate point guard, knows everything they do and her ability to communicate is second to none. 

"Does a great job at being mentally ready, mental presence is infallible," added coach Flanagan. 

"I knew she would have to put up some big numbers to be in the conversation, but I never thought it would come through fruition." 

Coach Flanagan went on to say that she elevates the play of her teammates and makes everyone around her better. 

Butler, who will be playing collegiately at UW-Green Bay, finished her career as Black Hawk's all-time leading scorer with 1,960 points. She also tallied 562 assists and 565 steals in her stellar career. 

Tag(s): News Archive  GBB News  Ms. Basketball