Two-Time WNBA Champion Candace Parker
Surprised Watkins with Honor
CHATSWORTH, Calif., March 13,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 38th year of
honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade
today announced Juju Watkins of Sierra Canyon School in
Chatsworth, Calif. is the 2022-23
Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Watkins won
the prestigious award for her accomplishments on and off the court,
joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Girls
Basketball Players of the Year who have combined for more than nine
WNBA MVP awards, 53 All-Star appearances, 15 WNBA championships, 15
WNBA first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers.
Two-time WNBA champion and two-time Gatorade National Girls
Basketball Player of the Year Candace
Parker surprised Watkins with the news, while her family,
coaches and teammates showed up with the trophy at school. Check
out a video of the announcement here.
The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes athletes not
just for their excellence on the playing surface, but for their
commitment in the classroom and impact in their community. Watkins
was selected from nearly half a million other student-athletes who
play girls basketball nationwide, topping the list of state winners
in girls basketball who collectively boast an incredible list of
accomplishments, including 30 with signed National Letters of
Intent to play girls basketball at Division I colleges/universities
and 38 with a GPA of 3.5 and above.
"Juju was in the conversation as one of the nation's top players
in the Class of 2023 prior to playing her first high school game,"
said Chris Menning, a national
evaluator for Blue Star Basketball and U.S. Junior Nationals. "She
truly separated herself from her peers as an upperclassman—her game
continually evolved. A power guard who attacks the court with
strength and vision, she still makes plays even when shots aren't
falling. Her competitiveness and character make her a welcome
addition to the legacy of the Gatorade National Player of the
Year."
The 6-foot-2 senior guard led the Trailblazers to a 31-1 record
and the statewide CIF Open Division tournament semifinals this past
season. California's returning
Gatorade Player of the Year, Watkins averaged 27.5 points, 13.7
rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, sparking
Sierra Canyon to the CIF-Southern Section Open Division title. A
McDonald's All-American, she led the USA Basketball Women's U17 National Team to
the FIBA World Cup championship last summer, earning tournament MVP
honors. She's also ranked as the nation's No. 1 prospect in the
Class of 2023 by ESPN and scored a career-high 60 points
Jan. 31 against Sherman Oaks Notre
Dame High.
Watkins has volunteered locally on behalf of Hands for Hope,
Shoes for Souls and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee as
well as toy donation drives, a food bank and youth basketball
camps.
Watkins has maintained a 3.72 GPA in the classroom. She has
signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on
scholarship at University of Southern
California this fall.
In addition to excellence on and off the field of play, Gatorade
Players of the Year also pay it forward for the next generation. As
part of Gatorade's Play it Forward initiative, Watkins will receive
a grant to give to a 501c3 youth sports charity, which includes
Gatorade's social impact partners – Athlete Ally, Laureus
USA, Move United, Women's Sports
Foundation and Up2Us Sports – supporting Gatorade's ambition to
fuel the future of sport.
"Juju's dedication on and off the field of play has earned her a
spot within the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year family, a
distinction shared by sports icons such as Jayson Tatum, Derek
Jeter, Elena Delle Donne and
countless community leaders," said Gatorade Portfolio president and
general manager Michael Del Pozzo.
"We can't wait to see the impact she makes on and off the court
going forward."
Each year, a selection committee evaluates the nation's top
talent to choose one state winner from each of the 50 states as
well as Washington D.C., in 12
different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross
country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and
girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In all, 608
athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one
national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program,
check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit
playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on
Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at
instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
About Gatorade
The Gatorade Company, a division of
PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets the needs of consumers who participate
in sports and fitness, through brands that include Gatorade,
Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve and Fast Twitch. The solutions they
provide are driven by a deep understanding of the unique occasions
and needs across athletic activity. Gatorade, their marquee brand,
is underpinned by a 57-year history of studying the best athletes
in the world, and sports nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport
Science Institute, allowing it to provide scientifically formulated
products that meet athletes' needs both on and off the field. For
more information and a full list of products, please visit
www.gatorade.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion
times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the
world. PepsiCo generated more than $86
billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary
beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's,
Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and
SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of
enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that
generate more than $1 billion each in
estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo
Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that
puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will
create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries
and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more
information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter,
Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
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SOURCE The Gatorade Company