Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week for Jan. 5, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, January 5, 2025 | 8:26 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week – Oumou “Mimi” Thiero

School – Quaker Valley

Class – Junior

Height – 6-foot-4

Position – Guard

What coach says – “Her all-around game was really solid against Riverside,” Quaker Valley coach Ken Johns said. “Along with the 23 points, she had 21 rebounds and six blocked shots. She handles the ball a good amount of the time for us, and she did a very nice job of that against Riverside as well. She had three assists, but she set us up with some good looks and facilitated the offense for us well.

“She is making shots a bit more consistently,” Johns said. “I have seen improvement in her post game and in her mid-range jump shot, which makes her even harder to guard. I think the biggest thing for me is her continued growth as a leader.”

“Mimi has always been a pretty good defender and a lot of that has come from her length in blocking shots, but this year she is guarding harder all the way around,” Johns said. “She’s communicating well, guarding the ball well and her help-side defense has really improved. Knowing she can guard inside and out on the perimeter allows us to do a lot of different things and she will go a rebound from wherever she is. Over the past four games she has averaged 20 points and 20 rebounds and she gets her share on both ends, but she’s been rebounding the ball well defensively.

“She has grown into a vocal leader, and I see it more and more every practice and game,” Johns said. “With such a young team, it is important for us to have that. Mimi and our other co-captain Lucy Roig are beginning to embrace that role. Mimi leads by action for sure with how hard she works and plays, but it’s great to hear and see her growing into a leadership role with all of the players. That is going to continue to be a big part of us being the best version of ourselves as a team.”

#Earned – Thiero has been a model of consistency coming off a sophomore season in which she scored 368 points and averaged 19.4 points per game. Through 10 games in her junior campaign, she is five points shy of 200 points for the season and is averaging 19.5 points per game. The 6-foot-4 guard eclipsed her average in the Quakers’ first game of 2025 on Thursday when she dropped 23 points in leading Quaker Valley over Riverside, 47-24. The victory improved the Quakers to 2-2 and into a tie for third place in Section 1-3A with an overall record of 4-6, one win shy of their victory total from a year ago.

Background – Theiro comes from a basketball family. Her parents came to the U.S. from West Africa, her father to play high school basketball and her mother to play college hoops. Her older brother Adou was a star at Quaker Valley where he averaged 23.3 points per game as a senior in 2022 in leading the Quakers to a WPIAL championship and a loss in the PIAA championship game. He played at Kentucky as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Arkansas this season. Mimi has dozens of Division I offers and plans to make her choice sometime this summer. Once a year, Mimi and her family travel back to their parent’s hometown with basketball shoes, athletic equipment, food and clothing for those in need in Segou, Mali.

A look back at the 2024 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Players of the Week

Week 12 – Alena Fusetti, Blackhawk

Week 11 – Aubree Hupp, Blackhawk

Week 10 – Rachael Manfredo, McKeesport

Week 9 – Maggie Spell, Shady Side Academy

Week 8 – Emma Paul, Armstrong

Week 7 – Bailey Strnisa, South Side

Week 6 – Bella Antonacci, Indiana

Week 5 – Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic

Week 4 – Shaye Bailey, Freedom

Week 3 – London Creach, Oakland Catholic

Week 2 – Mallory Daly, Seton LaSalle

Week 1 – Iyanna Wade, Clairton

Tags: Quaker Valley