Sydney Bowles of Woodward Academy is Gatorade Georgia Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Gatorade announced Wednesday.

Bowles will lead Woodward (27-2) into Thursday’s Class 5A championship game against Forest Park in the Macon Coliseum.

A 6-foot senior guard and forward, Bowles is averaging 21.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.0 steals per game. She has more than 2,400 points and almost 1,000 rebounds in her career and is ranked the No. 17 senior college prospect by PrepGirlsHoops.com. She has signed with Georgia.

The award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement and character. Bowles is a member of the Woodward Academy Honors Council. She has volunteered locally with Open Hands Atlanta to combat nutrition-sensitive chronic disease and as a youth basketball coach.

Bowles is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March.