Tasha Butts, head coach of the Georgetown Women’s basketball team, has died at the age of 41. According to the Washington Post, Butts passed away two years after a diagnosis of advanced-stage breast cancer.

University President John J. DeGioia issued a statement expressing the collective grief of the school.

"Tasha's passing is a devastating loss. 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, "DeGioia said.

"I am heartbroken for Tasha's family, friends, players, teammates, and colleagues," added Francis X. Rienzo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed. "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."

In her career in basketball, Butts was tremendously accomplished as a player and coach.

As a collegiate player, Butts starred for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols under the legendary Pat Summitt from 2000 to 2004. She helped lead Tennessee to the Final Four in 2002 and back-to-back NCAA championship game appearances in 2003 and 2004. During her SEC career, she only lost one conference game.

In the 2004 WNBA Draft, Butts was selected by the Minnesota Lynx and after one season, she joined Summitt’s staff as a graduate assistant during the 2004-05 season. In the fall of 2005, Butts played for Essa/Barreiro in Portugal, averaging nearly 18.0 points per game, and the next year, she played for Raanana Hertizliya in Israel. Butts also played with the Charlotte Sting and Houston Comets of the WNBA.

Butts became an assistant coach at Duquesne University and spent three seasons on the UCLA coaching staff. For eight seasons she was an assistant coach at LSU and during her tenure, the Tigers had four 20-win seasons and made two Sweet 16 runs in 2012 and 2013.

After leaving LSU and serving as an assistant coach for almost 20 years, Butts was hired as head coach of the women’s basketball team at Georgetown in April 2022.

In September, Butts announced that she was taking a hiatus to focus on her health, and associate head coach Darnell Haney was named as the interim coach when the season commences in November. She came to Georgetown from Georgia Tech, where she began as an assistant coach in 2019.

Butts is survived by her parents Spencer, Sr. and Evelyn, her brother Spencer, Jr., and her nephew Marquis along with an extended family.