Natalie Potts Season 2024-25

Outlook (2024-25)
Natalie Potts hopes to increase her productivity while joining returning All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski on Nebraska's front line for the second season in 2024-25.

Potts, a 6-2 sophomore from O'Fallon, Mo., burst on the scene a year ago to claim 2024 Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors from the conference coaches. A unanimous choice on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Potts started all 35 games alongside Markowski and averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.

The eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, showed the ability to finish at a team-best rate during the regular season and was a key to Nebraska's run to the Big Ten Championship Game and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“Natalie is a great fit for us both on and off the basketball court," Nebraska Coach Amy Williams said. "She has an incredible motor, and her competitive spirit matches the values we have for our team. She is versatile and a proven winner from one of the most successful high school programs in the country.”

Freshman (2023-24)
The 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year as voted by the conference coaches, Potts was a unanimous choice on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and claimed honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades from the league media.

The eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week ranked among the top freshman scorers (10.2 ppg) and rebounders (5.5 rpg) in the conference. She started all 35 games for the Huskers, which set the school record for most consecutive starts by a freshman in school history. Potts was one of only 10 freshmen in Husker history to start every game.

Potts produced five double-doubles in her rookie campaign, including 15 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in a Big Ten quarterfinal win over Michigan State (March 8).

Potts, who tied the Nebraska Big Ten Tournament record with nine blocks over four games, followed with her second career 20-point performance, just missing a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds in the Big Ten Championship Game against No. 3 Iowa (March 10). It was her 20th game scoring in double figures in 2023-24.

She produced game highs of 18 points, including 13 in the third quarter, and 10 rebounds in Nebraska’s win over Northwestern (Feb. 20).

She led the Huskers with game highs of 13 points and 10 boards in a win over Michigan (Jan. 17). Potts produced 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in NU’s first-ever win over Maryland (Dec. 31). She had 13 points and 12 boards in the second half alone against the Terps. She also went 7-for-7 at the line, including 4-for-4 in the final 45 seconds to seal the win.

Potts followed with 16 points - all in the second half - in NU’s win at Wisconsin (Jan. 4). She had an 11-point, six-rebound effort that included a career-high four steals in a win over Purdue (Jan. 31), before adding 12 big points in a win at Michigan (Feb. 6).

Potts produced a 14-point, six-rebound effort in Nebraska’s upset of No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11) when she had eight points and five rebounds to spark a comeback from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit. She earned her sixth Big Ten freshman honor on Feb. 12.

She claimed her seventh freshman award by averaging 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in wins over Northwestern (Feb. 20) and Minnesota (Feb. 24) to close out Nebraska’s home schedule with a pair of wins.

Potts, who produced six double-digit rebound efforts, led Nebraska and all Big Ten freshmen with her .489 field goal percentage. She also ranked among Big Ten freshman leaders with her 82.9 free throw percentage (63-76).

She produced 11 double-digit scoring games in Big Ten play and two more in the Big Ten Tournament.

She notched her first career double-double with 12 points and 12 boards in a win over FAU (Nov. 29), before adding 13 points in a win over Georgia Tech (Dec. 2). She closed NU’s three-game stand with 11 points and eight rebounds in a win over UNCW (Dec. 5).

Potts opened her college career with 10 points, five rebounds, an assist, a block and two steals in a win over Northwestern State (Nov. 6). She was even better in her first road game, going for 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including a three-pointer, while adding two more steals and a block in a win at Wyoming (Nov. 10) to capture the inaugural Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award of 2023-24 (Nov. 13).

After getting seven points, 11 rebounds and a career-high three blocks against Alcorn State (Nov. 14), she pumped in 16 points against No. 22 Creighton (Nov. 19).

Potts led NU to a win over Lamar with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting at the St. Pete Showcase. Potts earned her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Nov. 27).

Potts pitched in 10 points, five boards and two blocks in a win at Michigan State (Dec. 9) on her way to her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor (Dec. 11).

She claimed her fourth Big Ten honor (Jan. 8) after averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals against Wisconsin and No. 14 Indiana. Potts added a fifth weekly honor (Jan. 15) by averaging 9.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals against Illinois and Minnesota.

High School
Potts averaged 18.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game as a senior for Incarnate Word Academy in Bel Nor, Mo., which won its sixth consecutive Missouri state championship in 2023. She capped her career with a 32-0 record, a third straight Class 6 state title and a No. 6 final national ranking from MaxPreps.

The two-time Missouri High School Player of the Year, Potts showed explosive all-around ability, while providing a winning attitude.

Potts led Incarnate Word Academy to three consecutive Missouri state championships (no 2020 state tournament because of COVID-19) and a nation’s best 100-game winning streak to close her prep career. She led the Red Knights to a 117-4 record during her four high school seasons, including a 32-0 mark in Class 6, as Incarnate Word finished No. 6 nationally by MaxPreps and No. 10 in the final ESPN SCNext national rankings in 2022-23.

Potts captured Missouri MaxPreps Player of the Year honors in both 2021 and 2023, while adding a Gatorade Player of the Year award as a sophomore in 2021. She was also the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Metro Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2023.

Potts closed her high school career with 2,108 points and 1,008 rebounds in four seasons - just the third player in Missouri high school history to reach the combined milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 boards.

She produced 19.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while hitting 61.9 percent of her shots from the floor as a junior to lead Missouri Hall of Fame Head Coach Dan Rolfes' team to a 32-0 record, another Class 6 state championship and recognition as the Blue Star Media 25 national champion in 2021-22.

Potts averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds as a sophomore to earn Gatorade and MaxPreps Missouri Player-of-the-Year honors after leading Incarnate Word Academy to a Class 6 state championship in 2021. She was also the St. Louis Metro Area Player of the Year. Incarnate Word Academy finished No. 20 in the final espnW national rankings with a perfect 29-0 record.

She also broke the Incarnate Word Academy single-game scoring record with 40 points on 19-of-21 shooting in a win over Ladue on Feb. 3, 2021. The previous record was held by two-time UConn first-team All-American Napheesa Collier. Potts finished her career with four 30-point games and 36 career double-doubles.

Potts opened her high school career with averages of 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds as a freshman in 2019-20.

Potts, who played AAU basketball for Phee Elite, was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Missouri by Prep Girls Hoops.

Personal
The daughter of Eric and Sharon Potts, Natalie was born Nov. 7, 2004, in St. Louis, Mo. She has an older brother, Kyle, and a sister, Sarah. Natalie is majoring in business administration and earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of 2023 with a perfect 4.0 GPA. She selected Nebraska over Gonzaga.

"I chose Nebraska because I loved the community and the family feel. Everything about the campus and the town was what I wanted," Potts said. "The coaching staff and the team are just super sweet and welcoming and just a good group of people to be around."

Natalie Potts' Career Bests
Points - 22 vs. Lamar, Nov. 23, 2023
Rebounds - 13 vs. Maryland, Dec. 31, 2023
Assists - 4 at Illinois, March 3, 2024; vs. Indiana, Jan. 7, 2024
Steals - 4 vs. Purdue, Jan. 31, 2024
Blocks - 3 Three Times, most recent vs. Michigan State, March 8, 2024
FGM - 9 vs. Lamar, Nov. 23, 2023
FGA - 17 vs. Iowa, March 10, 2024
3FGM - 2 vs. Michigan State, March 8, 2024; at Illinois, March 3, 2024
3FGA - 5 at Iowa, Jan. 27, 2024
FTM - 7 vs. Maryland, Dec. 31, 2023
FTA - 7 vs. Maryland, Dec. 31, 2023

Potts' Career Stats