Shady Side Academy’s Karis Thomas reflects on scoring milestone

By: Antonio Rossetti
Saturday, December 7, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Shady Side Academy junior Karis Thomas prepared for what she thought was just another game. Little did she know she was on the brink of scoring 1,000 points.

Thomas was leading the Bulldogs girls basketball team against Berlin Brothersvalley in a close, hotly contested game. She then made program history, notching her 1,000th career points in her third year of high school hoops.

She, however, was unaware of her feat. Her teammates and coaches had kept it a secret so they could see her reaction.

“She was genuinely surprised when it happened,” coach Jonna Burke said. “She didn’t know how close she was. It was really nice to see the look on her face of genuine relief and happiness with all of her teammates. The girls just love her, and she loves them. It was a really cool thing to happen to a really good person.”

Thomas, who averaged 16.1 points per game last season, was glad to be able to celebrate the moment with her teammates and coaches.

“I feel like I’m truly blessed just to have the teammates and the coaching staff and just that support system,” said Thomas, who finished with a game-high 26 points. “I was just really happy at that moment to celebrate it with my teammates and my coaches.”

Thomas was confused at first while her teammates were laughing, trying to wait for the right moment to tell her of the milestone.

“They were truly happy for me, just telling me how proud they were of me,” Thomas said. “It made me a little emotional, I’m not gonna lie, but it was just a really good moment.”

The great moments with her teammates didn’t end there, though, as they treated her to a bacon cheeseburger with chips and a birthday cake milkshake at Burgatory afterward.

“She’s somebody that is welcoming. She is somebody that they can always talk to. She is someone they can hang out with if they need somebody to sit with at lunch,” Burke said. “She’s just that kid. She’s kindhearted, and she is definitely a leader by example.”

On the court, Burke said Thomas lets her abilities do the talking, and she elevates the team.

“Her most important quality is that she literally makes everybody around her better,” Burke said of Thomas, who is averaging 25.7 points through three games. “I’ve coached a really long time, and I’ve had a lot of good players, but the unique thing about her is being in that point guard spot, the way that she really dictates everything for us, it makes the kids look good, and it makes everybody look good. She makes me look good, that’s for sure.”

Burke said Thomas stands out with her attitude, is never in a bad mood and remains mentally steady.

“I’m really thankful for Coach Burke,” Thomas said. “She’s really like a second parent to me and everything. She cares about everything. She’ll text us late at night or early in the morning, like it doesn’t matter. She’s always there, and I’m just really blessed to have a coach like Coach Burke.”

Thomas also said she is grateful for her grandparents, John and Connie Thomas.

“Ever since both of my parents passed away, they stepped up and they took full responsibility for me and my sister,” Thomas said. “I’m just really blessed to have them in my life to be able to raise me and take me to practices and games.”

Thomas’ mother, Ciarra, died of breast cancer in 2018, and her father, Randy, died from pancreatic cancer in 2021.

She has relished the support of her older sister, Randi, who is in college in San Antonio, Texas.

“The reason I’m so thankful for her is because she has always been there for me, especially when our mom and dad passed away,” Thomas said. “She acts more like a mother figure to me than a sister, and she always checks on me to make sure I’m good back at home.”

Thomas carries qualities from each of her parents. Thomas said she is interested in nursing, something that runs in her mom’s side of the family. She also has an interest in sports marketing, which comes from watching basketball and building a bond with her father.

“My dad always loved LeBron James, and I’ve been watching LeBron James ever since in Miami,” Thomas said. “We would watch every game he played with my dad in the living room all the time, so LeBron James is a very inspirational figure to me. His work ethic and leadership on the court is just amazing to watch.”

Like James, Thomas has developed into a leader for her team. Burke said she is proud of Thomas has grown into someone her teammates look up to.

“She’s very soft spoken and very humble and modest,” Burke said. “She does not advertise herself, as I feel like a lot of kids tend to do, and she is somebody that really deserves to have success. … She’s the heart and soul of our team. For her to accomplish this, especially at this point in her career, is really exciting because it just leaves the door open for her to become the all-time leading scorer at Shady Side Academy.”

Shady Side Academy captured its first WPIAL title last season, and Thomas said the team chemistry is what makes them so special.

“We have a really strong bond that no one can break at all,” Thomas said. “We feel like we’re a family, basically, and we take that with us anywhere and everywhere we go and play. We always take responsibility. We have to look out for each other, and we have to stay strong for each other. We have to do everything for each other.”

Burke said it’s a natural progression that Thomas will keep on leading the team.

“I just look forward to getting to be her coach for the next year and a half,” Burke said. “I am so lucky to be able to do that and just watch all of the things that she’s done, having been in the front row, observing all that she’s already accomplished. There is still a lot in store for her.”

Thomas wants to keep moving forward, spearheading the Class 3A No. 1-ranked Bulldogs, who started 3-0 after wins against Belle Vernon, Berlin Brothersvalley and Baldwin.

“I just want to get better 1% every day and just keep having fun,” Thomas said. “Basketball is really fun. Basketball, in essence, even as a little kid and everything, basketball gave me many blessings and opportunities. It allowed me to meet different players and coaches. I’m just going to keep having fun.”

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