The Career

"She's the best player I've ever coached"

Those are the words of Montana State University-Northern women’s basketball coach Chris Mouat.

Because of all of Northern’s success during Mouat’s watch, he could have been talking about any number of players who have donned a Skylight uniform. But as great as so many were, only one can be the best. That one is Natalee Faupel.

And he’s not the only one who feels that way. Ask just about anybody who has played with, played against or observed Faupel play, and the consensus is that she is, and will go down as, one of the greatest players to ever suit up at Northern and in the Frontier Conference.

The numbers are simply incredible. She’s Northern’s all-time leading scorer with 1,781 points. In four years, she’s raised her scoring average each season by an average of more than two points per game. Rebounds, same thing. Defensive statistics, same story. Wins — yup — with Faupel in the lineup, Northern has kept on trucking in that department, too.

Put another way, Faupel has put together one of the greatest careers, if not the greatest career, in MSU-N history, and certainly the greatest in Mouat’s 13 seasons on the bench.

“For me, I’ve been able to coach one of the greatest players this school has ever seen,” Mouat said. “And I’ve been fortunate to coach a lot of great ones in my time here. Take nothing away from any of them, but Natalee has just set the bar so high with the things she’s done here. She’s the best player I’ve ever coached.”

That’s the highest praise a college basketball player could ever get from her head coach. But ask Faupel, who came to the Skylights from Butte High four years ago, just how good she is, and the matter becomes a little more complicated. And it’s because Faupel is literally one of the most humble athletes in athletics today. Confident, certainly, but humble, most definitely, and when asked how good she truly is, that humility comes bursting out.

“I can say I’m proud of how hard I’ve worked,” Faupel, who is about to embark on her final days of an incredible career when the Skylights play in the NAIA national tournament later this week in Billings, said. “And I think a lot of the individual recognition I’ve gotten, that has come from all of the hard work. So I guess I do know I’ve been able to accomplish a lot, but it’s also hard to take credit for all of it. I’ve been blessed with so many great teammates, and I’ve been blessed to play for a great coach for four years. And I wouldn’t be where I am without all of them.”

Of course, answering the question of how good Faupel is seems hard for her to do. She’s just not made that way. She’s a true team player, who does anything and everything she can to help her team win.

But when you ask any one of the ladies who have played alongside Faupel during a career that has seen her do things like win a Frontier Conference Player of the Year Award, and become only the second Skylight to ever be named a unanimous NAIA First-Team All-American — something that will likely happen twice before all is said and done — they’ll tell you exactly how good she is.

“She’s one of, if not the greatest to ever play here,” Northern junior Jacy Thompson said. “Look at her records. Those things don’t happen by accident. And those records are so incredible. They’re going to stand for a really long time, and they deserve to. They always say, records are meant to be broken, but those records may never be broken because she’s just that good.”

Becoming a Player

Every great player has a jumping-off point, and every star has that moment when things just started to click. Great players also have influential people who helped them develop not only their skills, but their passions, too.

Natalee Faupel is no different, and the most important influence in developing her passion for hoops was someone closest to home — her mom. Faupel was born in the state of Washington, and says she got into all kinds of sports at a young age, sports that included basketball. She moved to the Mining City around the age of 7, and, she says basketball really started to take off for her during her youth there. And it was mom, who not only helped her get involved but also helped her fall in love with the game she would come to dominate.

“My mom was always a big influence,” Faupel said. “She signed me up for everything when I was little. She was even my coach some, too. And she really just supported me and kind of helped me come into my own with sports and especially basketball.”

Faupel says she played a little bit of everything, including basketball, soccer, and track and field. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter, she was an all-around athlete. But by the time she reached high school, basketball started to take on a whole new meaning in her life.

“I had played on some traveling teams up until high school,” Faupel said. “But when I was a freshman and I got a chance to play with players like Lexi Nelson, I really got exposed to competitive basketball. I hadn’t really seen it at that level before, and, I guess, playing with girls who were already at that level, it really drove me. I wanted to be on that level, too. There’s nothing like high school basketball, and I just really loved that experience. Playing at that level made me want to get better.”

She loved it so much that she became one of the greats to ever suit up for the Butte High Bulldogs, accomplishing feats like Class AA All-State honors and helping her team to AA state tournament appearances.

But her early love of basketball also helped Faupel achieve something even greater, and something that would change not only her life but also the course of history at Northern — a scholarship.

Faupel admits she knew little about Northern while she was playing for Butte High, but Mouat knew plenty about her. And he extended an invitation to his Select Camp, one that Faupel accepted. So in the summer before her senior season, she came to play hoops for a weekend in Havre, and a future was born.

“That was pretty much how it all happened for me,” Faupel said. “Sadly, I didn’t know anything about Havre and had never been up here before. And when I got to the camp, I literally knew one person. But I really loved it up here right away. I loved the environment and the coaches. I got a chance to play in the All-Star game of the camp, so we played against the current (Skylights) team. That was awesome, and those girls were so great to me. Kylie Denham was my coach for that camp and she was great. That’s also where I met Molly (Kreycik). So that camp was a turning point. It showed me that I could play at that level, and I also just felt I fit in really well at Northern at the same time.”

Something else came out of that camp as well — Faupel’s first official collegiate offer. Mouat offered Faupel a scholarship, and again, the rest is now Northern history.

“At that time, I had some other coaches talking to me and showing interest in me,” Faupel said. “But Coach Mouat was the first one to offer me, and because of how much I loved it there already, because I felt I just really fit there and because of the confidence he showed he had in me, I took it, and up to this point, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

Talent Comes Out

Signing with Northern became the best decision in Natalee Faupel’s young life. Chris Mouat could probably say offering Faupel was one of the best decision of his coaching career — especially now. That’s because, in four years at Northern, Faupel has done so many things that no one else has been able to do.

In January, she broke Sheila Green’s all-time Northern scoring record. In four years as a starter, Faupel has averaged 14 points and five rebounds per game. With an incredible 1,323 shot attempts, she has made 47 percent of them over her career, and she’s a lifetime 81 percent free-throw shooter. She was incredible right from the get-go, leading Northern in a game in the national tourney her freshman season, then averaging 13 as a sophomore.

In her MVP junior season, she averaged 16 points and six rebounds per night, and she’s only raised the bar in her final year, leading the Frontier in scoring at 17 points per game, while grabbing seven rebounds per outing, shooting 50 percent from the floor, 81 percent from the foul line and 37 percent from beyond the 3-point-line.

In other words, by the numbers, Faupel has been nothing short of remarkable.

“She’s an (NCAA) Division I player,” Mouat said. “She’s that good. She can shoot it, she can get to the rim, she rebounds with strength, she can defend anybody we ask her to. She’s probably the best defender I’ve ever had. And that makes her extremely unique because of how great she is offensively. She’s a deadly, do-it-all player who has gotten better and raised her numbers every year.”

Of course, there was an evolution to becoming the weapon Faupel is today. First, she needed something she says she didn’t necessarily have when she arrived at Northern, something Mouat helped her find.

“He (Mouat) has done everything for me,” Faupel said. “But I think the biggest thing he’s done for me is instill confidence in me. He believed in me, and when I was young, he helped me start to believe in myself. Because of an unfortunate injury on our team my freshman year, I had to step up and start. Just the fact that he believed in me enough to put me there, that was so big for me, and it helped me really start to feel more confident, on and off the court. He really gave me the confidence I have in myself now.”

With a new-found confidence, Faupel was amazing down the stretch of her freshman season, including that memorable performance in the national tournament — a game both she and Mouat say was a big turning point for her as a player.

However, it wasn’t just confidence that drove Faupel to the heights she’s reached now. It was her legendary work ethic.

Often times, the term work ethic gets thrown around a little too freely, but with Faupel, it’s part of her DNA. She doesn’t know any other way but to work hard. Whether it’s on the basketball court, or in the classroom, earning a 3.9 gpa in health promotion, on her way to becoming a two-time NAIA Academic All-American, Faupel simply has put in the work.

“When you think about how good she is, I look at the behind-the-scenes stuff more,” senior teammate and close friend Molly Kreycik said. “She is always in the gym. She’s always trying to perfect something, or work on something new. She’s never settled. She never stops trying to be a better basketball player. And you see how it’s paid off. She has earned everything she’s accomplished because she’s worked harder at it than anyone I know.”

“Here’s an example of how hard she works and how driven she is,” Mouat added. “Midway through her sophomore year, I told her she was going to have to play in the high post more. We talked about it, and exactly one hour later, I came back in the gym, and there she is, shooting high post jumpers all by herself. That’s just how she’s always been. She’s never settled for anything less than her best.

“And she’s always worked hard to get better,” he continued. “Every year, she’s added something new. Every season she’s become more dynamic and more diverse. It’s just incredible how driven and dedicated she has been, and that has been contagious to the rest of our team. It’s raised the bar in our program. That’s also why she’s such a great leader. She leads by example. She’s backed up everything with her actions, and her work ethic and with what she does, on and off the court.”

Diverse may be the best way to sum up Faupel’s game. There’s been so many incredible moments, too many eye-popping winter nights to count. She’s had highlight games, like two of her last in the Armory, where, in two must-win games, Faupel scored 25 and 28 points, respectively against UM-Western and Rocky Mountain College just three weeks ago. Yes, through hard work, Faupel has become something she never dreamed she would be, one of the most feared, and respected players to ever play Frontier Conference women’s basketball.

“I once heard Elena Delle Donne talking about being a diverse player, about not just being great at one thing, but trying to be good at everything,” Faupel said. “I really took that to heart. So I’ve always tried to work on being really well-rounded. I think, also because my role has changed throughout the years, I’ve had to improve in a lot of different areas. When I came here, I was pretty much a three, or a shooting guard. But once A’Jha (Edwards) graduated, I knew I’d have to play a lot more four, and learn to play inside. So because my roles have changed, I’ve had to work really hard at different things. I’ve worked hard at being stronger, making sure I can rebound and defend with strength. I’ve worked hard on my driving to the basket. And shooting from the high post. Those are things that weren’t really a part of my game when I came here, but they are things I needed to get better at to help my team.”

“She can play every position on the floor and be the best at that position when she’s there,” Mouat added. “That’s a credit to her dedication, not only to herself and her game, but to her teammates and to this program. Like with the rebounding and defense, I think something else that gets lost when you talk about Natalee, it’s how unselfish she is. Yes, we’ve asked her to carry us offensively a lot through the years, and she always delivers. But look at her passing, her court vision, her ability to get steals and loose balls, to always find an open teammate in our offense. She’s not only a complete player, but she’s also a great teammate and a great leader. She really does do it all for us.”

What Matters Most

When the Skylights’ season comes to an end, sometime during the NAIA national tournament, Natalee Faupel will have truly done it all.

On the court, she’ll hold countless Northern women’s records. She’ll be a two-time NAIA All-American, a four-time Frontier All-Conference Player, an Academic All-American, and she’ll have a degree with honors in health promotion, and a bright future, one that she says will still include the game of basketball at the coaching level someday.

Faupel will eventually be inducted into the Northern Athletic Hall of Fame, and probably the NAIA Hall of Fame one day, too. And all those things are amazing, and special, and things she says she’s certainly proud of.

But at the end of the day, because of her class, dignity, humility and grace, because of who Natalee Faupel is, the individual accomplishments won’t be what she keeps closest to heart, and while they’ll certainly always be in awe of those things, it won’t be what her teammates, coaches, family and friends will love the most about her, either.

Instead, Faupel will be remembered for the person, teammate, daughter, role model, student and friend she is. Those things are what she holds dear to her and what everyone around her holds close to their hearts as well.

“All of this couldn’t have happened to a better person,” Kreycik said. “Natalee is one of the most humble and special people I’ve ever met in my life. I’m lucky to have known her. I’m lucky to have met her and gotten the chance to play with her. It’s been amazing. She’s an amazing person, and for me, in my life, I’m so glad I’ve had the chance to just be her friend and be around her the last four years.”

“I’ve been blessed to have so many great friends and teammates,” Faupel said. “One of the most amazing things about this experience is the bonds you have when you’re a part of the Skylight family. And you really can’t fully understand it unless you’re in it. The chemistry we build, starting with our retreat every year, and then you have the bus trips and the late nights in the hotel rooms, the ups and downs you share together, it’s so special. It’s unlike anything else. That’s something special Coach Mouat creates in this program. I am so lucky I got to be a part of it, and it’s those relationships, those friendships, and those bonds, that I’m gonna miss when it’s over. Not having that in my life every day is really going to take some getting used to because this program, these teammates and friends, it’s been such a huge part of my life.”

Of course, the program will miss Faupel, too. There’s no denying that with Faupel, Northern has reached incredible heights. With Faupel in the lineup, Northern has won 85 games over four years, 20-plus every season. With Faupel the driving force, MSU-N has went to four straight national tournaments and advanced to the NAIA Elite 8. With Faupel, the Skylights have been as consistent as any team in the Frontier Conference and have been incredible year-after-year.

And there’s no doubt Faupel is a big reason why.

“When she got here, I knew it was going to be pretty good, right from the start,” Mouat said. “But she’s made it amazing. Going to four national tournaments in a row doesn’t happen without a player like Natalee. She’s just a winner. She’s made her teammates better, she’s driven our program, she’s made our entire program better, and she’s made me better.”

Indeed she has done all of those things. But it’s more than basketball, too.

“Natalee is pure class,” Mouat said. “She does everything with class and character. She’s a tremendous student, a role model, a leader off the court. She’s been a big influence on me, as a person. We have done a lot of special things together, and I’m never going to forget any of it. She is a unique and special person, and I am so grateful for the time I’ve had with her. I just love her to death.”

The feelings Faupel has, about her coach, her teammates, about Northern, and about the community are mutual. Her time spent as a Skylight has been much more than just winning awards and winning basketball games. That’s not to say winning doesn’t matter because, boy, does it ever. Faupel is as competitive and as driven as any player out there and any that has suited up in Northern history.

But just like her impact on Northern and the Skylights has been so much more than basketball, the same can be said in reverse. And that’s why, when she hears that she was good enough to play for teams like the Lady Griz or Lady Bobcats, or other more big-time programs, the humble Faupel hasn’t, and doesn’t, give it a second thought.

“I never think about that, or look at it that way,” she said when asked about if bigger schools missed on her. “And that’s because I am so happy with the decision I made to come here. That’s something I would never look back at and want to change, for anything in the world.

“As for my whole career, remarkable is the word that comes to mind first,” she continued. “All of the things that have happened to me, were nothing like I expected. I didn’t see that in myself coming here. Coach Mouat and all the great teammates I’ve been blessed to play with, they helped bring this all out of me, and it’s four years that have meant everything to me. I’ve grown as a person, a student and a basketball player. I’ve learned so much, and I owe it all to being a Skylight. And I’ll be a Skylight for life.”

Like she said, coming to Northern was the best decision she’s made in her life thus far. And when her incredible, amazing, record-setting career is over, it isn’t a stretch to say Mouat’s decision to recruit and sign Faupel is one of the best things that has ever happened to the Skylight program.

That’s because, no matter how humble Natalee Faupel is, she is something else, too, she’s one of the greatest women’s basketball players to ever wear that famed Skylight uniform.

And at the end of it all, her career truly has been The Career.