Former Grandview standout Michaela Onyenwere wins 2021 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year award

New York Liberty guardant Michaela Onyenwere connected Wednesday was named the 2021 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year.

The Aurora autochthonal and erstwhile Grandview High School standout received 47 of the 49 votes from sheet that included sportswriters and broadcasters. By winning the award, she earns $5,150 and a trophy by Tiffany & Co. Atlanta’s Aari McDonald and New York’s DiDi Richards divided the remaining votes.

Onyenwere, 22, averaged 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds successful 32 games (29 starts) for the Liberty. She led each rookies successful points per game, tract goals made (91) and 3-pointers made (37).

The No. 6 wide prime successful the 2021 WNBA draught retired of UCLA — the first Colorado subordinate to beryllium taken successful the archetypal round — she won each 4 of the WNBA Rookie of the Month awards.

At Grandview, Onyenwere finished her vocation with 2,290 points, 2nd successful Class 5A past lone to ThunderRidge’s Abby Waner (2,670). She was besides the archetypal Colorado subordinate to beryllium named the state’s Gatorade subordinate of the twelvemonth 3 antithetic times (2014-’17).