Though all eyes are on the partnered teams in the VCT as they ramp up their competitive seasons towards Masters and Champions tournaments later this year, the lower tiers of professional VALORANT are just as exhilarating.
One player who seems to be floating under the radar for many VALORANT fans is Ava “florescent” Eugene, the 16-year-old prodigy who currently plays for American squad Version1. So far in 2023, florescent has been putting up the best numbers in the female VALORANT scene—and keeping pace with the best in the world.
She boasts an impressive overall average combat score of over 300 on Jett across the last three months across 383 rounds played, according to Vlr.gg. A combat score over 300 in a single map is impressive, but to maintain that number across this many rounds is truly a stunning feat.
Florescent’s current team is a star-studded roster that has already proved itself this year by breezing through North American Game Changers, taking out the tournament ahead of rivals Shopify Rebellion. V1 not only had a flawless upper-bracket run but also didn’t drop a single map on their way to a dominant victory.
Florescent is the duelist player for V1, a team that originally made headlines after two former Cloud9 White players, meL and alexis, signed with the organization in the off-season. Now the roster is looking better than ever, and are aiming to accomplish their goal of competing in tournaments outside of the female circuit. V1 finished third place on May 17’s Nerd Street VALORANT Lockdown 2, where they competed against rosters featuring players of all genders.
Related: Full VALORANT NA Game Changers 2023 schedule
Aside from her impressive numerical statistics, one must not forget florescent is just 16 years old—one of the youngest players in the VALORANT circuit. Due to age restrictions, she could not participate in Game Changers until 2023—but had she been eligible to play, she very much would have dominated given her form.
Her play is just that impressive, she was still included in Dot Esports’ list of the top female VALORANT players at the end of 2022—without a single Game Changers map played.
Where florescent shines are her mechanics. Her aim is not only flawless but so is her movement, making her the perfect duelist player. She is fearless in her approach but also calculated, finding a perfect balance between aggression and patience.
Though her play is impressive and she has the numbers to back up her consistency, it’s important to remember florescent has only been playing in tier two and three tournaments in 2023, as her team continues to build their experience in the lower tiers of North America.
While her statistics look out-of-this-world on paper, tier one is another step up entirely, and her experience against VCT-level professionals is what will truly define if she is ready for such a step. But, given her purple patch of form shows no sign of stopping, florescent is most certainly one to keep an eye on as 2023 rolls on.
Florescent and the rest of V1 return to NA Game Changers to defend their crown on July 13.
