MORE

ALLMETSPORTS

Turning promise into production

Lake Braddock junior center Natalie Butler has size (she’s 6 feet 4) and pedigree (she’s the daughter of former Navy star Vernon Butler). She’s worked hard to develop the basketball skills to match.

5 Seconds

00:00

00:00

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Lake Braddock junior center Natalie Butler poses on her home court in Burke. At 6-foot-4, Butler is one of the tallest players in the Virginia AAA Northern Region. She's also one of the most improved -- as a 6-2 sophomore, she averaged just 4.9 points.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Natalie Butler's father, former Navy basketball star Vernon Butler, developed some unconventional drills for her at their Fairfax Station home. Here she works on an exercise that helps build jumping strength. She also pushed a commercial-sized leaf blower up hills, shoveled manure and loaded and unloaded bales of hay on the six-acre property.

Natalie Butler's father, former Navy basketball star Vernon Butler, developed some unconventional drills for her at their Fairfax Station home. Here she works on an exercise that helps build jumping strength. She also pushed a commercial-sized leaf blower up hills, shoveled manure and loaded and unloaded bales of hay on the six-acre property.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Natalie Butler, right, defends her brother James, who's in the eighth grade, on the basketball court at their home in Fairfax Station.

Natalie Butler, right, defends her brother James, who's in the eighth grade, on the basketball court at their home in Fairfax Station.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Natalie Butler, right, lifts weights at her Fairfax Station home; her eighth-grade brother James acts as spotter.

Natalie Butler, right, lifts weights at her Fairfax Station home; her eighth-grade brother James acts as spotter.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

At 6-foot-4, Lake Braddock junior Natalie Butler towers over the rest of her teammates. She leads the Bruins in scoring (17.9), rebounds (19) and blocks (8.6).

At 6-foot-4, Lake Braddock junior Natalie Butler towers over the rest of her teammates. She leads the Bruins in scoring (17.9), rebounds (19) and blocks (8.6).

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Lake Braddock's Natalie Butler prepares to pass during a game against West Springfield on Jan. 20. The Bruins lost, 53-36, to one of the area's top teams, but Butler had a team-high 15 points and 17 rebounds.

Lake Braddock's Natalie Butler prepares to pass during a game against West Springfield on Jan. 20. The Bruins lost, 53-36, to one of the area's top teams, but Butler had a team-high 15 points and 17 rebounds.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Lake Braddock's Natalie Butler goes up for a shot against West Springfield on Jan. 20.

Lake Braddock's Natalie Butler goes up for a shot against West Springfield on Jan. 20.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Lake Braddock's Natalie Butler hauls down one of her 17 rebounds against West Springfield on Jan. 20.

Lake Braddock's Natalie Butler hauls down one of her 17 rebounds against West Springfield on Jan. 20.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Lake Braddock's Natalie Butler, left, poses with her father Vernon Butler, who starred at High Point High School and then the Naval Academy, playing alongside David Robinson.

Lake Braddock's Natalie Butler, left, poses with her father Vernon Butler, who starred at High Point High School and then the Naval Academy, playing alongside David Robinson.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Featured Photo Galleries

FAIRFAX, VA - May, 24: One Direction member Louis Tomlinson performs at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA, on Thursday, May 24, 2012, as part of their Up All Night Tour. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)

The British-Irish boy band One Direction performs at the Patriot Center in Fairfax as part of their Up All Night Tour.

Paula and Clay Gustin become emotional as dozens of balloons float above during a memorial Wednesday, May 23, 2012, for their five-year-old son, Rhett, who died in an accident on May 20. (AP Photo/The Coeur D?Alene Press, Shawn Gust) MANDATORY CREDIT

Fleet Week, solar impulse plane, artificial heart, Air Force academy graduation and more in the day in photos

Fleet Week, solar impulse plane, artificial heart, Air Force academy graduation and more.

Red Panda Bears sleep in the Panda Bear enclosure at the Beijing Zoo on May 22, 2012. The zoo grounds were originally a Ming Dynasty imperial palace and finally opened to the public in 1908. The zoo's history states that during the WWII, most of the zoo's animals died of starvation with only 13 monkeys and one old emu surviving the war. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTONMARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages

Barn owls, pit bulls, red pandas, cheetah cubs and more in animal views

Barn owls, pit bulls, red pandas, cheetah cubs and more.

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 24: Actress Macy Gray attend the 'The Paperboy' photocall during the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 24, 2012 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Macy Gray, Zac Efron, Philip Phillips, Fantasia Barrino, Neil Diamond and other celebrities.

DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW - 'Episode 1410A' - After 10 weeks of highly entertaining performances and phenomenal dancing, Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd were crowned 'Dancing with the Stars' champions, on the two-hour Season Finale of 'Dancing with the Stars the Results Show' on TUESDAY, MAY 22 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on ABC. (ABC/ADAM TAYLOR)

‘Dancing with the Stars’

Season 14 of “Dancing With the Stars.”

May 21, 2012: Members of the Naval Academy freshman class (plebes) lock arms and form a human ladder while climbing the Herndon Monument at the United States Naval Academy on May 21, 2012 in Annapolis, Md. Each year members of the Naval Academy's freshman class (plebes) climb the lard covered 21-foot tall Herndon Monument to replace a plebe dixie cup hat with a midshipman's hat at the top of the obelisk.

Teamwork, discipline help plebes get to the top

At the U.S. Naval Academy, the freshman class attempts to climb the Herndon Monument.

The National Zoo has two new additions: the female cheetah cub, left, and her brother on the right.

The National Zoo’s new cheetah cubs

A dramatic rescue saved these two cheetah babies and their distressed mother giving birth.

JOPLIN, MO - MAY 19: Grace Goebel plays outside of the new Habitat for Humanity home of her parents that was built on the spot of a home that had been destroyed after a tornado hit the neighborhood almost one year ago on May 19, 2012 in Joplin, Missouri. Tuesday will mark the one-year anniversary of the EF-5 tornado that devastated the town. The tornado left behind a path of destruction along with 161 deaths and hundreds of injuries, but one year later there are signs that the town is beginning to recover. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Joplin, Missouri, one year after tornadoes devastate town

Reminders of destruction are everywhere in Joplin, Mo., a year after a killer tornado.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Loading...

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

AllMet Sports Search