Lisa Leslie presents Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis with the Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year Award
Thursday March 17 was no ordinary day for Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, as she and her teammates gathered in the Mater Dei high school gym in Santa Ana, Calif. She knew WNBA legend and former Los Angeles Spark Lisa Leslie was invited to speak to the team during a pep rally as it prepared for the state championship game. What she didnÂ’t know was that she would soon join LeslieÂ’s elite company as the 2010-11 Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year, an accolade given to the nationÂ’s best high school girls basketball player.
The award not only highlights a player for her on-court talents – Mosqueda-Lewis is averaging 21.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.6 assists per game - but it also commends the player for strong work in the classroom and in the community. To that point, Mosqueda-Lewis’ 3.41 GPA and donated time with the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County, the Blind Children’s Learning Center and the Urban Compass Christmas Outreach initiative to benefit at-risk Los Angeles youth makes the 5-foot-11 guard a prime candidate.
“Without question, Kaleena is deserving of recognition as the nation’s best high school girls basketball player based on her statistics on the court and the impact her accomplishments have had on Mater Dei’s success,” said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Jennifer Storms in a recent press release announcing the honor. “But she is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young athletes of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. She represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient.”
Gatorade/Susan Goldman Former award-winning and two-time WNBA champ Leslie visited the girlsÂ’ locker room prior to the pep rally and played up the hype of the announcement by first congratulating Mosqueda-Lewis for being named the California Player of the Year.
“I asked a few questions; who they thought was their best defensive player and who they thought was their best offensive player, and of course they yelled out Kaleena’s name,” said Leslie. “And I asked if they needed a three-point basket, who would they pass the ball to, and of course they said Kaleena.”
With her fellow Mater Dei teammates backing each and every question on Mosqueda-LewisÂ’ behalf, Leslie finally delivered the big announcement.
“I said, ‘I just came to tell you you’re actually the Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year,’ so her and all her teammates were screaming around the locker room,” said Leslie.
To say Mosqueda-Lewis is joining elite company is an understatement. Previous winners of the award include the aforementioned Leslie (89-90), WashingtonÂ’s Katie Smith (91-92), Sparks two-time winner Candace Parker (02-03, 03-04), Tina Charles (05-06) and UConn standout and projected top pick in this yearÂ’s WNBA Draft, Maya Moore (06-07).
It would also seem as if she is continuing in the footsteps of the two previous winners, as she has already signed a letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at the University of Connecticut this fall.
“When I first came here I said, ‘You must have some serious game, because slouches don’t win this award,’” joked Leslie.
With the WNBAÂ’s Draft taking place at ESPN on April 11, prospects around the country will gather in one place with the hopes of building a legacy in the league. Four years from now, you may just see Mosqueda-LewisÂ’ name somewhere on that draft board.
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