College Commitment: 2021 Niveya Henley (Mt. Spokane HS)
We have been giving a fair amount of reports on 2020 players giving verbal commitments over the course of the last nine months or so. Seven juniors (2020) have committed to Division 1 schools so far, with a lot more likely being announced in the next couple months, as the summer winds down. Zero sophomores were committed in our database, until now. Mt. Spokane High School’s, Niveya Henley, has committed to Coach Kurt Godlevske and Butler University making her the first 2021 off the board in Washington.
Butler is coming off of a 23-10 season including a win over fellow Big East member, #11 nationally ranked Marquette University. Butler would go on to qualify for the WNIT and win multiple games, proving that their program is on the rise. In the process of all of this, they received a commitment from one of the top sophomores in Washington. Niveya received her first Division 1 offer before the start of her freshman season at Garfield High School. Schools from a handful of conferences were in contention for the 5’11 wing, but she felt that there was no reason to wait any longer. She initially visited Butler in the summer heading into her sophomore year and she walked away very impressed. She mentioned that, “The prestige of their academics stood out, being a top 2 academic school in the Midwest. Also, the coaching staff taking care of their players and the resources the school has to take care of players on and off the court, even after basketball.” While she is excited about her decision, Niveya said she still has to work on her “vocal leadership and being more physical, because the coaches talk about how much more physical the basketball is in the Big East compared to the northwest. Also, understanding passing angles and thinking one play ahead.”
Niveya has played in each of the last two 3A State Championship games, one with Garfield and the next with Mt. Spokane. She appears to be really focused to win one this time around with Mt. Spokane. As far as this summer goes, Niveya will be attending the adidas All-American Camp in June and she will continue to play with her club team, the Northwest Blazers, with the goal of winning an adidas National Championship in July. In her one shout out opportunity she said, “I’d like to thank my parents for their support in helping me make this decision and I’m looking forward to being a Butler Bulldog!”
Other interview Questions:
How does it feel to be committed to a Division 1 school as a sophomore in high school?
“It is really exciting, because it is something I’ve been working towards since elementary school. Some people feel less pressure when they commit, but I actually feel more now, which I actually see as a positive. It is just a stepping stone in the process. There’s a lot of work to do. Earning the scholarship first has taken years of work, but actually preparing for the next level is even more work ahead for me.
What ultimately made you decide Butler was the best fit?
“Three main reasons. The academics fit what I want to do as a career, which is a Wildlife Biologist. I met with the head of the Biology Department and learned some really great things. Secondly, my whole family is from Indiana, so I can have family at my games. Lastly, Butler had a really good season and their program is really taking steps forward.”