LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In its
33rd year of honoring the nation's best high school
athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Christyn Williams of Central Arkansas Christian
School (North Little Rock, Ark.)
as its 2017-18 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the
Year. Washington Mystics forward and 2015 WNBA MVP Elena Delle
Donne surprised Williams with the award during a morning
workout.
Check out the surprise video here.
"It was exciting for me to be able to surprise Christyn with the
Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award,
especially because she is such a deserving student-athlete," said
Delle Donne. "Christyn is a
well-rounded individual who has already accomplished so much on and
off the court, so it's an honor for me to welcome her into the
prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year family, and I'm looking
forward to following her career at UConn and beyond."
The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence,
but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary
character. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific
experts and sports journalists helped select her from 430,000 high
school girls basketball players nationwide. Williams is now a
finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Female High School Athlete of
the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The
ESPY Awards in July.
The 5-foot-11 senior guard led the Mustangs to a 36-1 record and
the Class 4A state championship this past season. The state's
two-time returning Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year,
Williams averaged 26.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8
steals per game. A member of the USA Basketball Women's U19 National Team, she
is a four-time All-State honoree and is ranked as the nation's No.
1 recruit in the Class of 2018 by espnW. Also the Women's
Basketball Coaches Association High School Player of the Year, the
Naismith Trophy High School Player of the Year, and Morgan Wootten Player of the Year, she has been
chosen to play in both the McDonald's All-American Game and the
Jordan Brand Classic.
Williams has raised money to benefit the Susan G. Komen Race for
the Cure and has volunteered locally on behalf of the Arkansas
Dream Center, Autism Awareness Camp and youth basketball
programs.
"Christyn Williams is an
athletic, strong, ambidextrous guard who is college-ready and a
three-level scorer," says Bret
McCormick, publisher of the All-Star Girls Report. "She has
a high motor and plays with equal intensity on both sides of the
ball. I believe she has a chance to start as a freshman at
UConn. More than that, she's a future
WNBA star in my
view."
Williams has maintained a 3.48 GPA in the classroom. She has
signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on
scholarship at the University of
Connecticut beginning this fall.
"Christyn is an excellent student-athlete who has earned
recognition as the nation's best high school girls basketball
player while also excelling in the classroom and making a
difference in her community," said Gatorade Senior Vice President
and General Manager Brett O'Brien.
"Christyn's statistics on the court speak for themselves, but even
more impressive is the example she sets for younger
student-athletes and the impact she has had on her teammates.
Christyn represents everything we look to celebrate in a Gatorade
Player of the Year recipient."
As a part of Gatorade's cause marketing platform "Play it
Forward," Williams also has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports
organization of her choosing. She is also eligible to win one of
twelve $10,000 spotlight grants for
her organization of choice, which will be announced throughout the
year.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one
winner in the District of Columbia
and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls
volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls
basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and
girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year
in each sport. The selection process is administered by the
Gatorade high sports leadership team in partnership with the
Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which work with
top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of
accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the
state winners in each sport.
Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year
include:
- Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning
- 2015 NBA first overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns
- Three-time WNBA champion Maya
Moore
- Four-time track & field gold medalist Allyson Felix
- Three-time beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh
- Three-time Cy Young Award winner
Clayton Kershaw
For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program,
including nomination information, a complete list of former
winners, and future announcement dates, visit the Gatorade Player
of the Year Web site at PlayeroftheYear.Gatorade.com on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/Gatorade.
ALL-TIME GATORADE
NATIONAL GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
|
YEAR
|
NAME
|
HIGH
SCHOOL
|
STATUS
|
2017-18
|
Christyn
Williams
|
Central Arkansas
Christian School, Little Rock, AR
|
High School
Senior
|
2016-17
|
Megan
Walker
|
Monacan, North
Chesterfield, VA
|
University of
Connecticut
|
2015-16
|
Erin Boley
|
Elizabethtown,
Elizabethtown, KY
|
University of
Oregon
|
2014-15
|
Katie Lou
Samuelson
|
Mater Dei, Santa Ana,
CA
|
University of
Connecticut
|
2013-14
|
Brianna
Turner
|
Manvel, Manvel,
TX
|
Notre Dame
|
2012-13
|
Mercedes
Russell
|
Springfield,
Springfield, OR
|
University of
Tennessee
|
2011-12
|
Breanna
Stewart
|
Cicero-North
Syracuse, Cicero, NY
|
Seattle
Storm
|
2010-11
|
Kaleena
Mosqueda-Lewis
|
Mater Dei, Santa Ana,
CA
|
Seattle
Storm
|
2009-10
|
Chiney
Ogwumike
|
Cy-Fair, Cypress,
TX
|
Connecticut
Sun
|
2008-09
|
Skylar
Diggins
|
Washington, South
Bend, IN
|
Dallas
Wings
|
2007-08
|
Nneka
Ogwumike
|
Cy-Fair, Cypress,
TX
|
Los Angeles
Sparks
|
2006-07
|
Maya Moore
|
Collins Hill,
Suwanee, GA
|
Minnesota
Lynx
|
2005-06
|
Tina
Charles
|
Christ the King,
Middle Village, NY
|
Sichuan Whales
(Women's Chinese Basketball Association)
|
2004-05
|
Abby Waner
|
ThunderRidge HS,
Highlands Ranch, CO
|
Retired from
WNBA
|
2003-04
|
Candace
Parker
|
Naperville Central
HS, Naperville, IL
|
Los Angeles
Sparks
|
2002-03
|
Candace
Parker
|
Naperville Central
HS, Naperville, IL
|
Los Angeles
Sparks
|
2001-02
|
Ann
Strother
|
Highlands Ranch,
Denver, CO
|
Retired from
WNBA
|
2000-01
|
Shyra Ely
|
Ben Davis,
Indianapolis, IN
|
WNBA Free
Agent
|
1999-00
|
Shereka
Wright
|
Copperas Cove,
Copperas Cove, TX
|
Univ. of Alabama
Staff
|
1998-99
|
Nicole
Kaczmarski
|
Sachem North, Lake
Ronkonkoma, NY
|
Retired from
WNBA
|
1997-98
|
Tamika
Williams
|
Chaminade-Julienne,
Dayton, OH
|
Penn State Univ.
Staff
|
1996-97
|
Nikki
Teasley
|
St. John's at
Prospect Hall, Frederick, MD
|
Retired from
WNBA
|
1995-96
|
Jaime Walz
|
Highlands, Ft.
Thomas, KY
|
Highlands (Ky.) H.S.
Coach
|
1994-95
|
Stephanie
White
|
Seeger, West Lebanon,
IN
|
Vanderbilt Univ.
Coach
|
1993-94
|
Monick
Foote
|
Samford, Wilmington,
DE
|
Retired
Pro
|
1992-93
|
La'Keshia
Frett
|
Phoebus, Hampton,
VA
|
Univ. of Virginia
Coach Staff
|
1991-92
|
Katie
Smith
|
Logan, Logan,
OH
|
Retired from
WNBA
|
1990-91
|
Michelle
Marciniak
|
Central Catholic,
Allentown, PA
|
Retired from
WNBA
|
1989-90
|
Lisa
Leslie
|
Morningside,
Inglewood, CA
|
Retired from
WNBA
|
1988-89
|
Lisa
Harrison
|
Southern, Louisville,
KY
|
Retired from
WNBA
|
1987-88
|
Vicki Hall
|
Brebeuf Prep,
Indianapolis, IN
|
Univ. of Toledo Coach
Staff
|
1986-87
|
Kris
Durham
|
Union Catholic,
Scotch Plains, NJ
|
Seton Hall Univ.
Grad
|
1985-86
|
Susan
Anderson
|
Mt. Baker, Deming,
WA
|
Univ. of Texas
Grad
|
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SOURCE The Gatorade Company