With the college softball season fast approaching, USA Softball announced the Top 50 Watch List for 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, a prestigious individual award that recognises outstanding athletic achievement at the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) top level. Many athletes from USA's junior and senior women's national softball team have been included in the list.
You can see USA Softball's Top 50 Watch List for 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year here.
Maya Brady, Kinzie Hansen, Kelly Maxwell, Kiki Milloy and Taylor Pleasants (pictured in cover photo) have represented USA in official WBSC tournaments at the highest level. Hansen and Pleasants are World Champions after winning gold at The World Games 2022, while Brady, Maxwell and Milloy played for the red, white and blue at the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup group stage in 2023.
In addition, NiJaree Canady, Jada Cody, Alex Honnold, Jayda Kearney, Ruby Meylan and Alana Vawter played in the WBSC-sanctioned Japan All Star Series the last two years.
The list also includes eight Junior World Champions with USA appearing in the last two World Cups. The 2020 U-18 Women's Softball Word Cup MVP and reigning collegiate player of the year Valerie Cagle is joined by her teammates Erin Coffel, Megan Grant and Mac Morgan. The won the title in Lima, Peru.
Jayda Coleman, Lexi Kilfoyl, Pleasants and Skylar Wallace won the world title at the 2019 WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup in Irvine, California, USA.
Canadian outfielder Kendra Falby has also been included in the list. She won the bronze medal at the 2019 WBSC U-19 Women's Softball World Cup, the country's first medal at youth world championship events.
The Top 50 Watch List will be reduced by a half on May 1, when the Top 25 Finalists will be announced (an athlete does not have to be on the "Watch List” to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 Finalists).
The Top-10 Finalists will be announced on May 15, with the last three finalists unveiled five days later, on May 20. The Player of the Year 2024 will be announced prior to the NCAA Women's College World Series.
Previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award include softball legends and Olympians like Stacey Nuveman (UCLA – 2002), Cat Osterman (2003, 2005, 2006 – Texas), Jessica Van der Linden (Florida State – 2004), Monica Abbott (2007 – Tennessee), Angela Tincher (2008 – Virginia Tech), Danielle Lawrie (2009, 2010 – Washington), Ashley Hansen (Stanford – 2011), Keilani Ricketts (2012, 2013 – Oklahoma), Lacey Waldrop (2014 – Florida State), Lauren Haeger (2015 – Florida), Sierra Romero (2016 – Michigan), Kelly Barnhill (2017 – Florida), Rachel Garcia (2018, 2019 – UCLA), Jocelyn Alo (2021, 2022 – Oklahoma) and most recently, Valerie Cagle (2023 – Clemson).
