UNC’s Janelle Bailey Named USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year
USA Basketball continued its domination this summer in international play and Janelle Bailey (North Carolina/Matthews, NC) is much to thank for her particular team’s success. Bailey led the USA Basketball Women’s 3X3 U18 World Cup team to an undefeated (7-0) record and gold medal at the FIBA 3X3 U18 World Cup that took place in Chengdu, China from June 28-July 2. Bailey’s impact resulted in her being named the 2017 USA Basketball Female of the Year.
NEWS: @usab3x3 gold medalist Janelle Bailey named 2017 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) December 6, 2017
📰 >> https://t.co/Z3RUpyR0ly pic.twitter.com/hV5psPEsPZ
As the 38th recipient of Female of the Year, Bailey fulfilled its purpose of awarding the player who has a “significant impact on the success of her team’s performance” the honors (USA Basketball). She totaled almost a third of USA’s points through the seven games, finishing with 40 (good for 5.7 PPG) out of 129. In the gold medal game against the Czech Republic, Bailey scored a team-high 11 points in a USA victory.
Bailey, a University of North Carolina freshman, is the fifth overall player from the ACC to receive Female of the Year; an ACC player has not been awarded FOTY since Crystal Langhorne (Maryland) in 2005. She makes history as the first USA 3X3 National Team player to receive it.
USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said [Bailey] “was a team leader who helped guide the USA to a gold medal, and…a great ambassador for the United States off the court.”
In response to the achievement, Bailey said “to be recognized as USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year is an honor” and “being a part of USA Basketball has been an extremely incredible opportunity that [she is] grateful for.”
Janelle Bailey joins an exclusive club of Tar Heel basketball players named @usabasketball Athlete of the Year.@crawley_sylvia - 1995
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) December 6, 2017
James McAdoo - 2009
Sean May - 2004
Michael Jordan – 1983 & 1984 with Sam Perkins - and as part of the 1992 Olympic Team.
Bailey is a first year starter at UNC and is averaging 14.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 28.6 MPG in Carolina’s 7-2 record. She has already earned two Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week honors, including her latest this week, as she averaged a double-double in a three-win week for the Tarheels.
The Carolina Tarheels take on the Furman Paladins next. The game will be Sunday, December 10 at 2pm ET at Carmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, NC).