Basketball
High school girls basketball: National Player of the Year finalists unveiled
Find out who made the final cut for the nation’s highest honor.
As the 2023-24 high school girls basketball season approaches its final weeks, some of the nation’s top players continue to shine and strengthen their resume for postseason accolades.
Among those is National Player of the Year, which will be announced April 11. Past winners include Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. Today, we narrow the list of candidates to join that list and capture the nation’s highest prep hoops honor to five.
Listed alphabetically, see the complete list of finalists below.
Jaloni Cambridge, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
5-6 | 2024 | Point guard | Headed to Ohio State
Cambridge is averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game for the 21-4 Eagles, ranked No. 9 nationally by MaxPreps. She can find the open shooter, drive the lane with a quick first step and finish inside against contact.
Joyce Edwards, Camden (S.C.)
6-2 | 2024 | Forward | South Carolina
Last year’s MaxPreps National Female Athlete of the Year leaves as a two-time state champion after guiding the Bulldogs to a 28-2 mark and Class AAA title. She averaged 31.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per night
Kennedy Smith, Etiwanda (Calif.)
6-1 | 2024 | Forward | USC
Smith has No. 3-ranked Etiwanda (31-3) on the cusp of back-to-back CIF Open Division titles. She is averaging nearly 25 points per game against a schedule that’s taken the program to Texas, Oregon, the Bahamas and Massachusetts.
Syla Swords, Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.)
6-0 | 2024 | Guard | Michigan
On a team full of Division I talent, Swords is a difference-maker. She is averaging 17.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, leading the Crusaders to a 21-1 record and No. 2 national ranking.
McKenna Woliczko, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
6-2 | 2026 | Forward | Uncommitted
The MaxPreps National Co-Freshman of the Year last season has upped her game, especially in the later part of the year as the top-ranked Monarchs were without UConn commit Morgan Cheli. Woliczko is the team’s leading scorer at 22.4 points per night while pulling down 7.7 rebounds.
Past National Players of the Year
2006 — Jacki Gemelos, St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.)
2007 — Maya Moore, Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)
2008 — Nneka Ogwumike, Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas)
2009 — Skylar Diggins, South Bend Washington (South Bend, Ind.)
2010 — Chiney Ogwumike, Cy-Fair
2011 — Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2012 — Breanna Stewart, Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.)
2013 — Diamond DeShields, Norcross (Ga.)
2014 — A’ja Wilson, Heathwood Hall Episcopal (Columbia, S.C.)
2015 — Ali Patberg, Columbus North (Columbus, Ind.)
2016 — Sabrina Ionescu, Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.)
2017 — Megan Walker, Monacan (Richmond, Va.)
2018 — Christyn Williams, Central Arkansas Christian (North Little Rock, Ark.)
2019 — Azzi Fudd, St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)
2020 — Paige Bueckers, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)
2021 — Raven Johnson, Westlake (Atlanta)
2022 — Juju Watkins, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
2023 — Juju Watkins, Sierra Canyon
