In a season marked by resilience, determination, and a triumphant comeback, high school standout Dallis Stewart has been named the BAL Girls Basketball Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season. The recognition serves as a testament not only to her skill on the court but also to the perseverance and ambition that are shaping her journey.
Stewart’s season was not without its challenges. A preseason ankle injury threatened to sideline her, testing both her mental and physical endurance. "Having an injury in the preseason is not the most ideal thing to happen, but in the end, it helped me learn more about myself," Stewart reflected. "It was a setback that was necessary for my personal and physical development."
Despite missing early practices and games, her hunger to return to the court only intensified. Though she played through lingering pain, her determination never wavered, and she ultimately led her team through an impressive season.
Stewart attributes much of her motivation to a stubborn desire to prove to herself, and to others, that she is capable of playing high-level college basketball and seeing her manifestations of being an advanced college basketball player become a reality. "When I was young, I had a vision of what I wanted my future to look like, and I want to make those visions a reality," she said.
Her relentless pursuit of excellence is fueled by faith, mental resilience, and a commitment to improvement, emphasizing her dependency on her faith as one of the driving factors in seeing her manifestations through.
Stewart credits much of her success to her support system, particularly her coach and teammates. She describes Coach Zee as an intuitive leader who understands her playing style and mentality on the court. "As someone who is more on the quiet side, having a coach who simply just knows how to help you be great is something that is highly appreciated," she noted.
Her teammates, too, played a crucial role in her growth. "We all want to see each other succeed, and that’s what makes a good team great," she said. "Even through a long season, there’s no doubt that this team is a family."
With her eyes set on the future, Stewart has ambitious goals for the remainder of her high school career and beyond. She has declared her short-term plans as winning the state championship next year and becoming a 1,000-point scorer, with her ultimate goal being to earn a Division I scholarship and make her mark at the collegiate level.
As she reflects on the season, Stewart describes it in one word: "resilient." "As a team, we went through adversity, but we learned to overcome it," she said. "If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we did, and accomplished as much as we did."
With an unshakable drive, strong faith, and a team that has her back, Dallis Stewart’s journey is just beginning, ushering her into a bright future in basketball ahead.
Renaissance Academy staff & students congratulate Dallis Stewart on her current and future success!