Brittany Bushman Named Atlantic Conference Player of the Week (Presented by Commons)

Photo Credit Phoenix1x Photography

By Derek Fleming, Staff Writer, WNFC

Brittany Bushman stepped back onto the field for Week 1 for the first time since winning the IX Cup Championship in 2021 and didn’t miss a beat. Bushman threw for 155 yards, hitting four different receivers for scores, and had the highest passer rating of any QB in Week 1 action as she led the Texas Elite Spartans to a 35-0 victory over the Kansas City Glory.

Bushman said that heer on-the-field success in week 1 is a product of hard work in practice and coaches who ensure the team is positioned for victory each and every week.

“Our practices are high-intensity. There’s a level of focus that we come in with at every practice and our coach has high expectations of us,” Bushman said. “If we don’t meet those expectations, she has no problem letting us know. Overall, for the first game, we executed well in my opinion.”

Bushman’s second touchdown of the day came on a back-shoulder slant pass, with the ball positioned so that only her receiver had an opportunity to make the grab. Bushman said the play was something that the defense had shown vulnerability to earlier in the game. The pass went to receiver Rasan Gore who is returning after missing last season.

“After we had run the slant a couple of times, I was like, you know what, I'm gonna take a shot,” Bushman said of the pass. “It was good coverage, but when you get to go to that back shoulder, it opens up some more space and Gore is a phenomenal athlete. She was able to turn her body and make a remarkable catch. It was Top-10, for sure.”

Bushman also got an opportunity to show off her arm strength, working a pass through a narrow window between defenders and finding Elizabeth Landry for the fourth score of the day. Then, Bushman took advantage of a soft defense to tack on a two-point conversion that made up for an earlier missed extra point.

“I can put the zip on it when I need to, I have broken a few receivers fingers, unfortunately,” Bushman said. “Our timing, our chemistry is really great. I just put it in there and she made a great catch with people around her.”

Bushman benefited from the return of Brittany Satterwhite, who had taken several years off, but the two had played together many years earlier. Satterwhite made several deep receptions, using her speed and skills to get open and giving Bushman the opportunity to gain chunks of yards through the air.

“She was wide open on a lot of those receptions, and my offensive line gave me plenty of time to make a pretty easy read and get the ball out there,” Bushman said.

While the Week 1 victory is a big accomplishment, Bushman said that the sky's the limit for this season’s Elite Spartans as they work to earn a third consecutive IX Cup Championship.

“We have the foundation, we have the offensive line, we have the skill players, mentally, everybody’s locked in,” Bushman said, giving credit to her teammates that put her in position for the standout performance. “We all have the same goal. We have one mission and that is to win another IX Cup.”