The sports community is mourning the loss of a beloved member.
Tasha Butts, the head coach of Georgetown University's women's basketball team, passed away after a two-year battle with breast cancer, the school announced Oct. 23. She was 41.
"Tasha's passing is a devastating loss," University President John J. DeGioia said in a statement. "She was extraordinary—Tasha was a person of character, determination, vision, and kindness. She will be deeply missed by our community and by so many people around the country who have been inspired by her life. We offer her family our most sincere condolences."
Georgetown's athletic director Lee Reed also shared, "I am heartbroken for Tasha's family, friends, players, teammates and colleagues. When I met Tasha, I knew she was a winner on the court, and an incredible person whose drive, passion and determination was second to none. She exhibited these qualities both as a leader and in her fight against breast cancer. This is a difficult time for the entire Georgetown community, and we will come together to honor her memory."
Prior to her time at Georgetown, Tasha—a former pro basketball player who was picked 20th in the 2004 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx—was the women's basketball associate head coach at Georgia Tech.
"The news of Tasha's passing is incredibly sad," Nell Fortner, head coach of Georgia Tech's women's basketball team, shared in an Oct. 23 tribute. "Tasha was so instrumental to the success of this program. What she did as a member of this coaching staff cannot be overvalued."
"She was tough–tough on her kids, tough in her expectations, but yet she was soft underneath when players needed her to be there for them, and she was always there for them," Nell continued. "We are incredibly sad this day has come. She battled from the day of her diagnosis. We are proud of her fight to the end. We will forever love Tasha. She will forever be missed."
Tasha is survived by her parents, Spencer, Sr. and Evelyn, her brother Spencer, Jr., as well as her nephew Marquis.