Women's Basketball | 3/1/2018 11:00:00 AM

FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason's inside-out duo sure made an impression in their first year in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Graduate student Natalie Butler was named the A-10 Player of the Year and freshman Nicole Cardaño-Hillary was tabbed the A-10 Rookie of the Year, the league announced Thursday after a vote by the conference's 14 coaches.

Butler, a native of nearby Fairfax Station, Va., is the first conference player of the year in the program's history. Cardaño-Hillary, a point guard from Madrid, Spain, is the fourth Patriot to earn rookie of the year honors but first since Jen Derevjanik in 2001 while still in the Colonial Athletic Association.

This marks just the fifth time in the A-10's women's basketball history the same team has had both the player and rookie of the year. It last happened in 1997 when current Mason assistant coach Tajama Abraham Ngongba was tabbed A-10 Player of the Year and her George Washington teammate Noelia Gomez was named A-10 Rookie of the Year.

In addition to grabbing two of the top honors in the league, the pair also collected several other accolades. Butler was named to the All-Conference First Team, the All-Defensive Team and the All-Academic Team. Cardaño-Hillary landed on the All-Conference Third Team, the All-Rookie Team and the All-Defensive Team.

This marks the first time since 2003-04 the Patriots have collected multiple all-conference selections. The pair have helped Mason win a school-record 23 games and finish fourth in the Atlantic 10 for its best conference finish in 14 years.

"We're absolutely thrilled for Nat and Nikki," head coach Nyla Milleson said. "Their contributions have played a huge part in our team's success this season. We knew Natalie's experience at Connecticut would be extremely beneficial to the growth of our team. But her approach every day and her desire to get better have added up to one of the best individual seasons in George Mason basketball history. Nikki's impact has exceeded all of our expectations. She plays with a fearless mentality and has been a steady presence running the point. I couldn't be happier for both young ladies, who are great ambassadors for our program and university."

Butler's significance in her lone year at Mason can't be understated. The 6-foot-5 center enrolled as a graduate student last June after graduating from Connecticut in May with her undergraduate degree in communication. The Lake Braddock grad spent the last two years at UConn, helping the Huskies win the 2016 national championship, after starting her career at Georgetown where she was named the 2013-14 Big East Freshman of the Year.

She has been a force inside for the Patriots, leading the country in rebounding (16.4 rpg) and double-doubles (30) and ranking first in the A-10 in scoring (18.7 ppg). Her 30 consecutive double-doubles is the third-longest streak in Division I women's basketball history.

She has grabbed 509 rebounds so far this season, becoming just the eighth player in Division I history with more than 500 rebounds in a season. She has broken both the school and Atlantic 10 conference single-season rebounding records and needs just 31 rebounds to eclipse the Division I record of 539 set by Oklahoma's Courtney Paris in 2005-06.

On New Year's Eve, in the league opener against Davidson, she grabbed 28 rebounds to set the single-game school record and tie the A-10 mark. She has scored in double figures in all 31 games this season, scored 20 points or more 12 times and recorded two 30-plus point games. Her 45 blocked shots are tied for third-most in the conference and her .511 shooting percentage is tied for the fourth-best mark.

Cardaño-Hillary, a 5-foot-7 freshman, burst onto the scene right away, scoring 22 points in her collegiate debut against No. 24/23 Michigan in the season opener on Nov. 10. She hasn't let up from there, ranking third in the conference in scoring (17.9 ppg) and first in steals (81). She ranks first on the team in 3-pointers made (59) and second in assists (87).

She also has scored in double figures in all 31 games and notched 20 points or more in 10 games. She is the second-highest scoring freshman in the country and ranks third among freshmen in steals. She is tied for 19th in the country in steals. In 15 games, she has nabbed three steals or more, including seven (one shy of a school record) against Rhode Island on Jan. 14.