FOREST PARK, Ohio — Winton Woods High School senior point guard Chance Gray was named Wednesday morning as the 2021-22 Gatorade Ohio Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
"It means a lot," Gray said. "It's not something I was expecting to wake up and hear today. I feel really proud. It's one of the accolades I wanted to cross off my list so I'm really happy I earned this."
The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishing Grayas Ohio’s best high school girls basketball player, according to a Gatorade news release.
The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association's all-state teams and Ohio Ms. Basketball recipient is scheduled to be announced next week.
Gray, a McDonald's All-American who has signed with the University of Oregon, is the first Gatorade Ohio Girls Basketball Player of the Year from Winton Woods.
A 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith National High School All-America first-team selection, Gray averaged 26.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.1 steals for Winton Woods (25-2) which was a Division I regional semifinalist.
Gray completed her high school career with 2,237 points which is No. 21 on the Ohio High School Athletic Association's all-time scoring list. Gray also has 500 rebounds and more than 300 assists and 200 steals in her career.
Winton Woods won its first district title this winter since 2008. The team won 23 consecutive games entering the regional tournament. Winton Woods went from six wins in 2020-21 to 25 victories this season.
In addition to her basketball accolades, Gray has maintained a weighted 4.11 grade-point average in the classroom, according to a Gatorade news release.
"I am so proud of her work ethic," said Winton Woods girls basketball coach Carlton Gray, who is Chance's father. "From her first year until she walks out of graduation she has committed to be being the best student-athlete she could be."
Gray has volunteered locally on behalf of Ronald McDonald House Charities, Boys and Girls Club of West Chester and youth basketball camps.
“I’ve been coaching in Ohio for 12 years and Chance Gray is the best player any of my teams has played against,” Milford coach Matt Tolliver said in a release. “She dominated the league every single night this year. She makes the right basketball play over and over again, and she handles herself with class, on and off the court.”
Chance Gray is a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award which will be announced later this month.
