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EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally posted on Oct. 3
From schoolgirl basketball prodigy to WNBA player to a successful career in coaching, Tasha Butts always made Baldwin County proud.
Butts, 41, passed away earlier today following a two-year battle with breast cancer. Butts, Baldwin High Class of 2000, stepped away from her head coaching duties at Georgetown University back in September after her condition began declining.
Butts was the daughter of Spencer "Skeebo" and Evelyn Butts. Tasha had basketball in her blood. Both of her parents were standout players at BHS back in their day, while one of her aunts –Valerie Freeman – played at the University of Tennessee.
Tasha also played at Tennessee, back when the Lady Vols were on top of the basketball world. It was a big day back in 1999 when Lady Vols Head Coach Pat Summitt came to Milledgeville and toured Baldwin High and visited with the family.
Butts ultimately played four years at Tennessee, was named a team captain, and then was drafted in the first round of the WNBA draft. Following her playing career, she went to work in the coaching profession. Prior to getting her first head coaching gig at Georgetown back in April, Butts was an assistant at Georgia Tech, among other stops.
Anderson Bentley was Butts' coach at BHS and says that Butts was always destined for basketball greatness.
"I put her on our junior varsity team when she was in the fifth grade," the coach said. "Tasha was a natural. It was obvious from a very early age that she would go far in life."
Butts never forgot where she came from, Bentley added.
"Tasha always came back and would help out with young players and help out at camps," he said. "Tasha had a heart of gold. That's just who she was. She cared about people and helped out so many people over the years."
Everything sounded so lovely until the end.
“We tried”
If that’s not disheartening idk what is. I feel the need to quote my mom here. “I can’t have nothin nice”. Wiser words were never said.
Oh! And for gods sake STAY HYDRATED if you want to save on hospital bills. I hate summer.
Member when the river was fun and didn’t get angry and take lives? You could float down hopefully by sunset with only burnt skin that was a problem for later you? Member when your biggest fear were all the scary gar lingering about?
Partly Cloudy , with a high of 90 and low of 72 degrees. Partly Cloudy for the morning, clear overnight.
loving that suit! That hippie has style and wears it well.
I member hearing about this. So incredibly sad. The lady I spoke with couldn’t have spoken higher of the man he was.
"unless someone wishes to make some sort of far-flung statement about their dissatisfaction with both major political parties" omg! YES PLEASE! There's no choices, and they will never allow an independent a fighting chance. Other countries have multiple candidates to choose from.
Any reason why the sheriff rarely makes a statements its alway another Deputy isn’t the sheriff, the elected official in our county?