Natalie Burton

Natalie Burton (born 23 March 1989) is an Australian basketball player and coach. She played college basketball in the United States for the West Virginia Mountaineers before beginning her career in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in 2012. She played seven seasons in the WNBL and played in Germany and France in 2018 and 2019. In the NBL1 West, Burton has played for the Perry Lakes Hawks and Warwick Senators. She is a five-time NBL1 West champion, three with the Hawks (2007, 2008, 2017) and two with the Senators (2022, 2026). She helped the Senators win the NBL1 National championship in 2022 as well. She served as an assistant coach with the Perth Lynx in the WNBL between 2021 and 2024.

Burton played for the Australian national team, the Opals, between 2013 and 2016. She was an Olympian with the Opals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She holds dual Australian and British nationality.

Early life and career Burton was born in Perth, Western Australia, in the suburb of Stirling. She attended Carine Senior High School.

Burton played in the State Basketball League (SBL) for the Perry Lakes Hawks in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In the 2008 season, she was named the SBL Most Improved Player. The Hawks won SBL championships in 2007 and 2008.

College career Between 2008 and 2012, Burton played college basketball in the United States for the West Virginia Mountaineers. She averaged 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 119 games, with her 52.8 career field goal percentage ranking her as the second best in West Virginia history. She graduated in May 2012 with a degree in finance.

West Virginia statistics

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Professional career WNBL and Europe Burton debuted in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) with the West Coast Waves in the 2012–13 season. She averaged 8.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24 games in her rookie season and then averaged 6.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 17 games with the Waves in the 2013–14 season.

In April 2014, Burton signed with the Melbourne Boomers for the 2014–15 WNBL season. In 22 games, she averaged 7.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

On 17 April 2015, Burton signed with the Perth Lynx for the 2015–16 WNBL season. where they lost 2–0 to the Townsville Fire. In 27 games, she averaged 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. On 25 November 2016, she played her 100th WNBL game.

On 31 August 2017, Burton re-signed with the Lynx for the 2017–18 WNBL season.

In January 2018, Burton joined German team Herner TC for the rest of the 2017–18 DBBL season. She returned to Herner TC for the 2018–19 season and helped the team win the DBBL championship and DBBL Cup.

Australian state leagues and New Zealand

Burton returned to the Perry Lakes Hawks for a five-game stint during the 2012 State Basketball League season. She played 15 games for the Hawks in the 2013 season.

In 2014, Burton played nine games for the BA Centre of Excellence in the South East Australian Basketball League.

Burton's next stint with the Hawks came in the 2017 season, She continued with the Hawks in the SBL in 2018 and 2019, and then played for the Hawks in the West Coast Classic in 2020. She helped the team win the NBL1 West championship, and at the NBL1 National Finals, the Senators went undefeated and won the NBL National championship.

Burton returned to the Senators for the 2023 NBL1 West season and played her 200th SBL/NBL1 game in June 2023. Following the NBL1 West season, she had a three-game stint with the Mainland Pouakai of the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa in New Zealand. She returned to the Senators for the 2024 NBL1 West season. She re-joined the Senators for the 2025 NBL1 West season, helping them reach the NBL1 West Grand Final, where they lost 91–71 to the Cockburn Cougars.

Burton re-joined the Senators for the 2026 NBL1 West season. On 31 July 2026, she announced that she would retire at the end of the 2026 season. She helped the Senators return to the NBL1 West Grand Final, where they defeated the Cougars 102–76 to win the championship. Burton had four points, three rebounds and three steals in winning her fifth championship and second with the Senators. At the 2026 NBL1 National Finals, Burton suffered a lower leg injury in the first game.

National team career Burton represented Australia at the 2013 World University Games in Russia, where they lost to Team USA in the semi-finals. In 2014, she helped the Opals win bronze at the FIBA World Championship. She played for the Opals at the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship and then became an Olympian with the Opals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Coaching career In September 2021, Burton was appointed assistant coach of the Perth Lynx for the 2021–22 WNBL season. She continued as assistant in 2022–23 and 2023–24.

Personal life Burton is the daughter of Cliff and Rosemary Burton. and was a member of the Hawks' 2017 championship team.

Burton holds dual Australian and British nationality.