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Former Syracuse Orange Brianna Butler made her professional basketball debut for the Los Angeles Sparks Saturday in a 88-80 preseason victory over the Atlanta Dream. Butler was drafted 23rd overall by the Sparks, and showed promise in her time on the floor:
Butler played 12 minutes in her debut for the Sparks. The Orange's all-time leader in career 3-point field goals made, Butler knocked down one shot from beyond the arc on Saturday. She also pulled down one rebound in the win.
The Sparks play again tonight and tomorrow and Butler should expect to play similar minutes. Only three players played more than 20 minutes for Los Angeles on Saturday, indicating that playing time is up for grabs.
The way Syracuse women's basketball program is currently trending, we should expect players like Brianna to come out of the program in the future as well. Brianna's style of play seemingly fits perfect with the WNBA style, and it will be interesting to see where her career takes her.