Enjoy Swish Appeal’s exclusive conversation with Jerzy Robinson (2008), the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026 who was MVP of 2024 FIBA Under-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup for the world champion United States.
We talk about her development as a player, strong family foundations, business acumen, moving from Arizona to California and remaining a kid despite all of her accomplishments. Some highlights from the interview include:
On winning the MVP during the U17 World Cup:
I would say it’s the biggest achievement in my career so far other than the gold medal.
On lifting weights since she was nine years old:
As a little kid I didn’t really understand the advantages of it. My dad had me in the weight room and I was like, “Oh man, Dad.” But over time, when I was 11, 12, I started to see my body change. I think that’s when I really realized, especially playing with the boys, that I had a stronger base and foundation.
Advice she got from Russell Westbrook:
Having that work, work ethic and consistency is really important as a player, maybe more important than anything else, because there’s internal motivation, external motivation that comes and goes. So just staying in the lab and continuing to work on your craft.
For more, check out the whole interview, as well as some highlights of Jerzy’s play:
A special thank you to Elle Cooper of Klutch Sports Group for arranging the interview.