2024 Annual Awards: 5-on-5 Female Athlete of the Year Nominees
Joyce Edwards
Joyce Edwards is one of the most versatile players in the USA pipeline. In the final of the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup, versus Canada, she put her talents on full display, dominating in every phase of the game. She knocked down 3s. Banged in the paint. Dished the rock. Fought for loose balls. You couldn't watch the game without seeing Edwards, popping off the screen, doing all of those small-yet-crucial things that coaches rave about. By the final buzzer, she’d logged 16 points and 13 rebounds, guiding the USA to an 80-69 victory. For her efforts, Edwards took home a gold medal and tournament MVP, a fitting reward for the best player on the best team in the tournament, who showed out in the most important game.
Jerzy Robinson
Jerzy Robinson is just different. The daughter of former NBA center Darnell Robinson, basketball runs in the family. Over at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, she’s been putting together jaw-dropping mixtapes for a few years now, with nasty crossovers, tough finishes and bold celebrations. You might expect Robinson to tone her game down for international play, but she had other ideas at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup. She stuck to her style, playing iso ball, draining 3s and bullying her way to the rim. Robinson led the tournament in scoring with 20.9 points per game and won tournament MVP, along with a gold medal. With every tournament, the high schooler gets bigger, stronger and more skilled.
Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart can’t stop winning. She’s one of the most decorated female basketball players in history, with four NCAA championships at UConn; three WNBA championships, the most recent coming this year with the New York Liberty; and, heading into Paris 2024, gold hardware from Rio and Tokyo. Stewie continued her winning ways in Paris, posting double-digit points in pretty much every game. Her most devastating performance came against Belgium, whom she lit up for 26 points (the most for any American in the tournament) on 8-of-14 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Her reward: a gold medal and a spot on the all-tournament team. When it comes to Stewie, it's not a question of if—but when and where—she’ll win next.
Diana Taurasi
This summer, Diana Taurasi did more than just win a gold medal. At this point in her career, the 42-year-old is way beyond that sort of thing. By winning her sixth Olympic gold at Paris 2024, not only did she beat out her bestie Sue Bird, who has a measly five golds. Taurasi also transcended the entire sport of basketball and established herself as the greatest modern Olympian, dating back to 1896, when the athletes probably competed barefoot and wore togas or whatever. Taurasi officially holds the Olympic record for gold medals in a team sport, along with a perfect 43-0 record. (Yes, other athletes have more golds, but only in solo sports with multiple disciplines, like swimming or gymnastics.) In Paris, Taurasi’s knowledge and maturity fortified the team, leading the American women to their eighth straight gold.
A’ja Wilson
In the gold medal contest of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Americans were in tough against a pesky French squad. Thankfully, the Americans had one of the most talented players in the world in their arsenal: A’ja Wilson. When things got tough, Wilson came through. She knocked down a couple of big mid-range pull ups in the fourth quarter, giving the red, white and blue the edge. At the end of it all, her double-double (21 points, 13 rebounds) was a major difference maker, helping the U.S. to a breathtaking, history-making, Eiffel Tower-shaking gold medal victory. As one of the top players in the tournament, she averaged a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, plus three blocks, booking a spot on the all-tournament team.
https://www.usab.com/news/2024/12/2025-annual-awards-5-on-5-female-athlete-of-the-year-nominees