Hoosiers Now

Two Indiana Women's Basketball Recruits Win Gatorade Player of the Year in Respective States

Indiana guard recruits Julianna LaMendola and Lenée Beaumont have been named their respective state's Gatorade Player of the Year after taking their high schools to the state tournament and stuffing the stat sheet all season.

Haley Jordan

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana women's basketball is already building for next season as recruits Julianna LaMendola and Lenée Beaumont were both named their state's Gatorade Player of the Year.

This award was established in 1985 and honors the most outstanding high school athletes based off their talent, academics and character. 

The 6-foot-1-inch guard LaMendola is ranked the fourth best player in Texas and 52nd in the country as she is the first player from Coppell High School to win the prestigious award.

To end her high school career, LaMendola led Coppell to its first state tournament in school history where the team lost in the state semifinals off of a three-point buzzer beater from the opposing team, San Antonio Clark that eventually won the Class 6A state title.

LaMendola tallied 16 points, six rebounds and four assists on the day as she normally averages 17.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest.

Meanwhile, Beaumont is following in the footsteps of Indiana alum and all-time leading scorer Tyra Buss, who was Illinois' Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2013-2014 season.

Six-foot guard Beaumont played four varsity seasons for Benet Academy High School in Lisle, Ill. After a fourth place state finish last season, Beaumont helped lead her team to second place this year after she put up 28 points in the title game.

Normally, the top-100 nationally ranked player averages 18.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. She's also hit 36 three-pointers this season.

The future continues to get even brighter for the Hoosiers as the current team still has work to do in the NCAA Tournament following a Big Ten Tournament semifinals finish. Once the madness is over, Indiana will certainly look forward to welcoming LaMendola and Beaumont to the mix.

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball

  • HOOSIERS DROP IN AP POLL In the Week 18 Associated Press Top 25 Poll, Indiana women's basketball dropped as Iowa moved up after winning the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament on Sunday. CLICK HERE
  • CAITLIN CLARK POPS OFF IN BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP Iowa junior guard Caitlin Clark nearly outscored all of Ohio State in the first half of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament championship as she cashed in 23 while the Buckeyes collectively scored 24 points. CLICK HERE
  • HOOSIERS MOST LIKELY ONE-SEED IN NCAA TOURNAMENT Nothing is official until March 12, but with only three total losses Indiana women's basketball should still be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and host the first and second rounds. CLICK HERE
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Haley Jordan
HALEY JORDAN

Haley Jordan is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation video director, staff writer, host and reporter for Hoosiers Now, Fastball and Fastbreak sites. She is a graduate from Indiana University with degrees in Sports Broadcast Journalism and Spanish.

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