Press release
Saniya Rivers Named 2020-21 Gatorade® National Girls Basketball Player Of The Year
WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne Surprises Winner with Honor WILMINGTON, N.C., June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 36th year of honoring the nation's most elite
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[{"type":"text","content":"WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne Surprises Winner with Honor\n\n\nWILMINGTON, N.C., June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 36th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Saniya Rivers of Eugene Ashley High School in Wilmington, N.C. is the 2020-21 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Rivers won the prestigious award for her accomplishments on and off the court, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year winners who have combined for nine WNBA MVP awards, 49 All-Star appearances, 14 WNBA championships, 14 WNBA first round draft picks and two Hall of Famers.\nWNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne virtually surprised Rivers with the news, while her family, coaches and teammates showed up with the trophy at school. Check out a video of the announcement here. \nThe award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Rivers as the nation's best high school girls basketball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Rivers from nearly half a million high school girls basketball players nationwide. \nCompetition for the national award was fierce. Rivers topped the list of state winners in girls basketball who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 11 repeat Gatorade State Players of the Year, 35 with signed Letters of Intent at Division I colleges and universities, and 17 with GPAs of 4.0 or higher.\n\"Saniya Rivers is one of the best athletes to come out of high school in years,\" says Kevin Lynch, senior national talent evaluator for BlueStar Basketball. \"Her speed, quickness, size and leaping ability makes her special from a matchup perspective. Her level of intensity is second to none. Smart coaches recognize that a player's position is who they can guard. Saniya is that rare player who can not only play every position, but guard every position. Her ceiling is, well, she has none.\" \nThe 6-foot-1 senior guard led the Screaming Eagles to a 15-2 record and the Class 4A semifinals this past season. The state's two-time returning Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Rivers averaged 36.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5...