Eight future AP top 10 program commits are among the finalists announced on Friday for the 2019-2020 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award.
Consensus 2020 No. 1 prospect and UConn signee Paige Bueckers headlines the list of players selected as finalists for the award, which recognizes the nation’s most elite high school athletes for their accomplishments on and off the court.
The 6-foot senior guard led Hopkins High School to a 27-0 record and the Class AAAA sectional final, averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 assists, 5.4 steals and five rebounds in 27 games. Bueckers has been also chosen to play in both the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
The finalists for the 2019-20 award:
- Te-Hina Paopao- University of Oregon commit from La Jolla Country Day School (La Jolla, Calif.)
- Angela Dugalic- University of Oregon commit from Maine West High School (Des Plaines, Ill.)
- Maddie Scherr- University of Oregon commit from Larry A. Ryle High School (Union, Ky.)
- Taylor Bigby- University of Oregon commit Centennial High School (Las Vegas, Nev.)
- Kylee Watson – University of Oregon commit from Mainland Regional High School (Linwood, N.J.)
- Jana Van Gytenbeek- Stanford University commit from Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village, Colo.)
- Mir McLean- University of Connecticut commit from Roland Park Country School (Baltimore, Md.)
- Paige Bueckers- University of Connecticut commit from Hopkins High School (Minnetonka, Minn.)
Past Gatorade National Girls Basketball Players of the Year have gone on to have incredible success – they’ve combined for nine WNBA MVP awards, 49 All-Star appearances and 14 became WNBA first-round draft picks.
The winner of the award is expected to be announced this month.
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