"It's even harder to stay at the top": Female Athlete of the Year nominee Jerzy Robinson opens up about the challenges of being a 5-star prospect 

Sierra Canyon basketball star Jerzy Robinson said that it's more difficult to stay at the top than to get to the top. Being a top-ranked prospect in the high school girls basketball Class of 2026 brings huge pressure.

However, Robinson, a 6-foot-1 guard from Phoenix, acknowledged that she enjoys the pressure in an interview that premiered on the Made Hoops YouTube channel on Dec 27.

“The hardest thing about being a top-ranked recruit is maintaining it. You know it’s hard to get there but it’s even harder to stay at the top,” Robinson said (Timestamp: 4:38).

“So, just making sure you stay motivated, putting in the work, staying in the lab. You know it comes with pressure, but pressure is a privilege. So, you know that you are the pressure, so you take care of it.”

Robinson’s star rising as she is nominated for USA Basketball Athlete of the Year

Jerzy Robinson is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Class of 2026 by ESPN. The five-star point guard, who attends the same high school as Bryce James, was nominated for the 2024 USA Basketball 5-on-5 Female Athlete of the Year award alongside the likes of Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson and Joyce Edwards.

She remains one of the most popular high school prospects with over 60,000 followers on Instagram. Represented by LeBron James’ Klutch Sports Group, Robinson is one of the few high school basketball stars with NIL deals at Nike.

Robinson averaged 22.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in her freshman year at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix. She was also part of the 2023 USA Basketball Women's U16 team, starting all six games, and leading the team with 17.3 ppg and 10.2 rpg as the USA claimed the gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Merida.

She was named the MVP, becoming the youngest player to win the prize in the history of the competition.