Florida State's Leticia Romero Earns Paradise Jam MVP With Dominant Play

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands — Leticia Romero would have probably rather had the other piece of hardware in her hands Saturday, but she didn’t mind carrying this one around when it was all said and done. This was not a consolation prize, nor was the Florida State star guard settling. Having the Paradise Jam Reef Division Most Valuable Player plaque was an honor, and nobody needed to see her with it to solidify how special she was in the event.

Inside the University of the Virgin Islands gym, Romero was the best player on the court, oftentimes dominant, in the three-day, round-robin tournament. She was perfect from the field to lead the No. 10 Seminoles with 17 points in rolling over Winthrop on Thursday and dropped 25 in knocking down No. 25 Gonzaga a day later.

Then, in Florida State’s finale Saturday with red-hot Michigan, Romero added 10 points in the 76-62 victory.

Romero still got to hold the championship trophy in the celebration on the court. The MVP award, which she proudly carried to the locker room, was simply icing on the cake.

PARADISE JAM REEF DIVISION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Jill Barta — Gonzaga
Katelynn Flaherty — Michigan
Shakayla Thomas — Florida State
Hallie Thomas — Michigan

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Leticia Romero — Florida State