“Sadie Engelhardt and Cooper Flagg Named 2023-24 Gatorade Best Female and Best Male Players of the Year at 2024 ESPYs”
Sadie Engelhardt and Cooper Flagg Named 2023-24 Gatorade Best Female and Best Male Players of the Year
In a star-studded event at the 2024 ESPYs, Gatorade announced Sadie Engelhardt and Cooper Flagg as the 2023-24 Gatorade Best Female and Best Male Players of the Year. The prestigious honor places them among past winners like Jayson Tatum and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The awards were presented live on stage by former Gatorade Best Female Players of the Year Candace Parker and Paige Bueckers.
The awards ceremony was part of a week-long celebration in Los Angeles, where the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year experienced exclusive events. Highlights included photoshoots, early access to the latest Gatorade iD Drop, and a performance by Lil Yachty. The event also featured opportunities for athletes to give back to the community through Gatorade’s Equity in Sports initiative.
Engelhardt and Flagg, along with other Players of the Year, visited local sports organizations to support young athletes. They surprised LA Rec&Parks and Girls Athletic Leadership School with a $25,000 donation, presented by 2022-23 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Juju Watkins. This donation will cover sports programming, equipment, and fees for the next year.
In addition to the $25,000 donations, each Gatorade Player of the Year receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. Athletes can submit videos explaining why their chosen organization deserves a Spotlight Grant, which provides an additional $10,000. This year’s 12 Spotlight Grant recipients joined the Los Angeles celebration, adding to the more than $4.9 million in grants awarded by Gatorade Player of the Year winners to over 1,600 organizations.
Engelhardt, a standout in California high school track and field, broke records and led her team to success. Flagg, the nation’s No. 1 basketball recruit, led his team to a perfect season. Both athletes have impressive GPAs and commitments to compete at the collegiate level.
As part of the celebration, the 12 National Players of the Year received exclusive first access to Gatorade’s limited-edition Drop co-created with UNINTERRUPTED. The collection will be available for sale on Gatorade iD, with limited quantities available.
For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.