Youngstown, Ohio — Senior Jewel Watkins was named the Coach Ed DiGregorio Most Valuable Player of the 2024-25 season for Youngstown State's Women's Basketball program. The honor was bestowed on Thursday evening at the team's postseason dinner held at Cassese's MVR near campus.

In addition to Watkins earning the program's top award, fifth-year senior Haley Thierry received the Core Value Award, and freshman Sophia Gregory was named the team's Most Improved Player.

Watkins was the Penguins' leading scorer in 2024-25 and had her best season to close out her collegiate career. The senior guard was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team as she ranked third in the conference, averaging 15.3 points and 2.2 3-pointers per game. As one of most impactful transfers in the league, she was the only player to start all 31 games for the Penguins, and she scored at least nine points 28 times.

Thierry earned the Core Value Award for embodying the team's five core values of family passion, toughness, commitment and gratitude. Thierry averaged 4.9 points, a career-high 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and a steal in her fourth season as a Penguin in 2024-25. She was a big spark plug for the Penguins down the stretch, averaging 7.1 points over the final 17 games of the season. She posted 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists on average over her final 20 contests.

Gregory stepped into a starting role at the beginning of December and went on to be named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year. She led all conference freshmen in points, rebounds, blocks and steals per game, and she also paced her classmates in field-goal percentage and double-doubles. She was a three-time Horizon League Freshman of the Week, and she finished her first collegiate season averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.