By Betsy Brewer Brantner
Contributing Writer

The United States women’s basketball team won its sixth world cup title by defeating Canada, 84-64, in the final. A local girl, Jordyn Palmer, was part of that team.

The 2024 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup was the eighth edition of the FIBA Under-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup, the biennial international women’s youth basketball championship. The tournament was hosted in Mexico from July 13 to July 21. It was the first time Mexico hosted the tournament and the first time that it was held outside of Europe.

To be eligible for this competition, players must be under 17, and Jordyn is 15 years old. Her father, Jermaine Palmer, said that it was “surreal”  getting to watch his daughter compete internationally.

“She played in Mexico, and I went with her,” he said.

Palmer was selected out of 40 girls for the team that competed internationally. 

Jermaine explained the hard work that his daughter put in to make the team.

“She tried out last year and made it to the finals, then got cut,” he said. “This year, she knew what was expected and made it. She works hard, starting the day with hours of cardio and then playing basketball with friends. She played a couple days a week at the Lighthouse Youth Center and then at Kennett.”

The 15-year-old has been playing basketball since she was 3, when she played at the Jennersville YMCA.

Her father explained, “Jordyn was almost three when I started coaching a Chester County Storm AAU basketball team. She traveled with me and watched the kids I coached. Eventually, she joined the YMCA League in Jennersville, which further encouraged her interest in basketball. Then at the age of seven she joined the travel team.”

Jermaine continued, “Her biggest supporter is her mother, Kim. She really keeps her grounded. When it comes to basketball that’s more me, but her character—that comes from Kim. I think it is the chemistry from both of us.”

Having a child interested in sports is not cheap. Coaching and playing sports can quickly get expensive and requires the buy-in of the entire family. Weekends are spent traveling, and require money for hotels, meals, and paying a fee to the team, not to mention all of the equipment required to play a sport. Basketball shoes are not cheap.

“We plan accordingly,” Jermaine said. “We get help from friends and family and Kim and I sit down and make things work. All the sacrifices we are making will pay for her college.”

At six-foot-one,  Jordyn certainly has the height to compete in basketball at the next level. Numerous schools and colleges have taken notice of her. 

The young athlete got a full scholarship from Westtown School in West Chester. At the age of 13, she played five grades up at the varsity level. She has three more years at Westtown. Basketball has already helped provide her with a great education. 

Her proud father admits it is hard to believe that she is already receiving scholarship offers from over 40 Division-1 schools.

“It is hard to believe they are offering scholarships to my young daughter,” he said. “In another three years, Jordyn will be making that decision.”

Her mom and dad know what this journey has done for her.

“It teaches her to work with a team. It teaches her integrity and how to work on her craft to be the best. It has taught her a tremendous work ethic,” Jermaine said.

The parents are excited for their daughter’s future, and they have another daughter and a son who will follow.

“It has been a great opportunity for her,” Jermaine said. “She started at a young age. She is a good kid and we are blessed. Westtown has been a great prep school. When she goes to college she will know what to expect. She has always been a hard worker.”

That hard work has certainly made her hometown of Oxford proud. Recently, Jordyn received a welcome home with an escort from the Union Fire Company and Oxford Police Department.

So what comes next for this talented athlete? First, a small break.

Jermaine said, “I’m not sure what is next for her. She played for the U.S. What is higher than that? She wants to win another state championship, that is on the agenda. But she is going to take off the month of August. We will try to keep her from touching a ball. We want her to just be a kid hanging out with friends, enjoying family game night, and taking a vacation.”