March 12 (UPI) — Azzi Fudd was simply humbled when she scanned the list of past winners of the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award.
On Tuesday, the St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) sophomore added her name to those ranks. She also became the youngest to ever win the award.
Fudd, 16, received it from the hands of WNBA superstar Elena Delle Donne, one of her hoop idols. She was pulled out of class and led down a hallway before turning a corner and running into her family and Delle Donne.
“I could feel my face go red,” Fudd told UPI. “I was like ‘oh my God, what is this?’ I had no idea what was going on. I was so surprised.”
Fudd earned the hardware by averaging 26.1 points, 2.5 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. The 5-foot-11 combo guard also posted a 3.68 grade-point average.
While Fudd doesn’t have a list of prospective colleges yet, she did receive a lofty projection from Delle Donne.
“She’s gonna be a monster,” Delle Donne said. “I’m so excited to watch as she continues to grow. I can’t believe she’s only a sophomore.”
“It just shows how super-talented she is, but also what a great student athlete she is and how well she does in the classroom and also what she’s doing in the community. This award is all-encompassing. It’s really great to see what an awesome person she is.”
Fudd is a member of the USA Basketball U17 Women’s World Cup team. She is ranked No. 1 for ESPN’s class of 2021.
She also served as planner and host for the Hoop for a Cure basketball clinic, raising money for the Pat Summit Foundation. Fudd mentors local youth and volunteers at local youth basketball camps and at the Catholic Youth Organization.
“Living in the D.C. area, you hear about her often,” said Delle Donne, the 2015 WNBA MVP. “I haven’t seen her play in person, but one of my teammates has and had so many great things to say about her. It’s really cool to just be part of a special moment like this and be able to share in it.”
Fudd said she enjoys watching Delle Donne play and hopes to follow in her footsteps to a career in the WNBA.
Central Arkansas Christian School’s Christyn Williams won the award in 2018. Monacan High School’s Megan Walker won in 2017. Both players play at UConn. The National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award will be announced next week.
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