Prestigious Award Caps Off a Historic Season for Adams and the Girls Basketball Program
Less than a week after helping lead Tilton to its first National Prep Championship, Ahnay Adams ’24 has been named the 2023-24 Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Basketball Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. Adams is the sixth Tilton student-athlete to earn this prestigious award, joining Jackson Paradis ’22 (football), Olivia Orlando ’17 (girls basketball), Terance Mann ’15 (boys basketball), and Alex Oriahki ’09 (boys basketball).
The senior captain from Massachusetts highlighted her stellar four-year career at Tilton by averaging 19.8 points and 7.2 assists per game and earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the inaugural Girls National Prep Championship. Adams is ranked as the No. 39 recruit in the country by espnW and is committed to play for the University of Miami next season.
“Ahnay is so special; it brings tears to my eyes to think about how hard she has worked,” says Head Coach Tara Brisson. “She didn’t just dream it, she did it. I am so proud of what she has accomplished on the court and the person she has become in her four years at Tilton. She has left the place, this program, and this team in a better place than when she found it.”
In a press release, the Gatorade Player of the Year program wrote:
“The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Adams as New Hampshire’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, touting 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.).
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.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, 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.”