On Thursday morning, Gatorade announced that Montverde Academy girls' basketball player Jaloni Cambridge has been named the state of Florida Gatorade Player of the Year. It marks the first time in program history that a MVA girls' basketball player has earned Gatorade's top honor for the state of Florida, and the thirteenth time a MVA student-athlete has won it.
Press release below is courtesy of Gatorade:
CHICAGO (March 14, 2024) — In its 39th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Jaloni Cambridge of Montverde Academy is the 2023-24 Gatorade Florida Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Cambridge is the first Gatorade Florida Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Montverde Academy.
The award, which celebrates the nation's top high school athletes for excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Cambridge as Florida's best high school girls basketball player. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Cambridge joins an all-star group of alumni that includes Candace Parker (2003-04, 2002-03 & 2001-02, Naperville Central High School, Ill.), Paige Bueckers (2017-18, Hopkins High School, Minn.) and Juju Watkins (2022-23 & 2021-22, Sierra Canyon School, Calif.).
At the time of her selection, the 5-foot-7 senior guard had led the Eagles to a 21-4 record and a berth in the Chipotle Nationals tournament. Cambridge averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals through 25 games. Ranked as the nation's No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2024 by espnW, she is a McDonald's All-American Game selection. Also the 2022-23 Tennessee Gatorade State Player of the Year, she is a 2024 USA Basketball Nike Hoop Summit Team invitee and a Naismith Award finalist.
Cambridge has volunteered locally cleaning up the Montverde Academy gym after games and she's an active member of her church community in her native hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. "Jaloni is a fierce competitor— she embodies all of the characteristics of a champion," said Matt Shewmake, head coach of Montverde Academy. "I think she's the best and most impactful player in the nation."
Cambridge has maintained a 3.10 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at The Ohio State University this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Cambridge joins recent Gatorade Florida Girls Basketball Players of the Year Taliah Scott (2022-23, St. Johns Country Day School), Ta'Niya Latson (2021-22, American Heritage School), Kendal Cheesman (2020-21, H.B. Plant High School) and O'Mariah Gordon (2019-20, Braden River High School), among the state's list of former award winners.
As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than $4.9 million across more than 1,600 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate studentathletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
