Monroe High School senior Quaneshia Sims isn’t the girls basketball team’s top scorer, she’s not the tallest player, and she didn’t lead the team in rebounds or assists this year. She averaged 2.7 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, and one steal per game for the season. But Monroe girls basketball head coach Jennifer Acree said that if it wasn’t for Sims, her Lady Tornadoes would have never had the season they did, which included making it to the Class 3A state semifinals.
“Without Quaneisha, we would have never made it as far as we did this year,” Acree said.
The Lady Tornadoes finished the season with a 22-10 record, and the Final Four appearance was the first time Monroe’s girls basketball team had advanced that far in the playoffs in 26 years, Acree said.
“This was the best finish we have had in a long time,” she said.
Sims was the team’s center and power forward and started almost every game this season, missing only a three-game stretch earlier this season due to an illness.
Sims was a crucial part of the team’s success this year. It’s especially satisfying for Acree and Sims, considering the fact that she missed practically the entire 2022-23 season due to a serious knee injury suffered during the first week of last season.
After the 2022-23 season opener against crosstown rival Westover, a game that saw Sims score 4 points, pull down two rebounds, and have an assist and a blocked shot, Acree said the team hit the road for an away game.
“It was at New Manchester on Nov. 19 of last year,” Acree said. “Quaneisha went down. She took a bad fall.”
Sims was playing well up to that point, with 4 points, three rebounds, and a steal before she was injured.
“We weren’t sure how bad it was because she is so tough,” Acree said.
An MRI soon after confirmed the worst: a torn ACL. Sims’ season was over after it had just started.
Despite the season-ending injury, Acree said Sims stayed positive.
“She could have hung her head, but instead of pouting, she just supported her teammates and focused on getting back to the court,” Acree said.
That was no surprise for the coach.
“Quaneisha has an uplifting personality and is always smiling,” Acree said. “She stuck with her rehab and was ready on day one this season.”
Acree said Sims’ impact goes beyond what any stat sheet could ever show.
“Quaneisha plays power forward and center for us, and she’s not that tall, which is what you usually look for in that position,” Acree said. “But she is the strongest, toughest player on the court, and she has the physical tools and heart to get the job done, and she did that all season long for us.”
Sims’ experience is another major factor that her coach points to as one of the intangibles that, again, isn’t measured by any stat, but was critical to the team’s success.
“Quaneisha was one of just two seniors for us this year,” Acree said. “We had a very young team, and she became like a mentor for her teammates. She was there to provide leadership and guidance for our younger players. She is very protective of her teammates.”
The Monroe roster was made up of just 10 players, with six freshmen, one sophomore, one junior, and two seniors, including Sims.
“Because our roster was so young and inexperienced, we were limited,” Acree said. “Only seven of our players played real minutes.”
And Sims definitely played real minutes. Acree said Sims started every game and played “about 28 minutes of every 32-minute game.”
“We had to have the leadership on the court, and she rallied the team,” Acree said.
As Monroe’s magical season was coming to an end after falling in the Final Four to Hebron Christian Academy, Acree approached Sims with a heartfelt message.
“I told her that she was the perfect teammate,” Acree said. “She was the difference-maker.
“I am thankful for the time I spent with her as her coach.”
In addition to basketball, Sims plays third base and catcher for the Monroe softball team and throws discus and shot put for the track team.
