DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Blue Devils incoming freshman Angela Salvadores was named the FIBA Europe Young Women’s Player of the Year, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the award.
The announcement, as detailed in a release from Duke Sports Information, was made by FIBA Europe on Monday, after fans had been given one month to cast their vote, alongside a panel of European basketball experts.
Salvadores, who is 17 years old, becomes the youngest player to win the award, surpassing 2010 winner, Slovenia’s Nika Baric, who was 18 when she was bestowed the honor.
Salvadores, who is a native of Leon, Spain, produced what is considered one of the greatest individual displays in women’s youth basketball over the summer scoring 40 points in the gold medal game at the FIBA U17 World Championship for women as Spain came within a basket of toppling the United States from their throne for the first time in history.
In the championship, Salvadores was named MVP as she averaged 19.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.6 assists in seven contests.
Against the United States in the championship game, the 5-foot-10-inch guard hit 16-of-29 field goals and 5-of-7 three-pointers.
Salvadores, who signed with Duke in November and will join the Blue Devils in the Fall of 2015, also competed in the 2014 U18 European Championship with Spain in Portugal and averaged 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists as she was named to the All-Tournament team.