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Sims takes charge
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Park graduate finds success in spotlight
BY GERY WOELFEL
Journal Times
laying a supporting role might have been the politically correct thing to do, but it might not have been the correct thing to do.
After all, the former Park High School star was regarded as one of the top recruits in the nation and undoubtedly was one of the best incoming recruits for the Badgers.
So, when Sims put on her cardinal and white No. 25 uniform last season, she found herself under a high-powered microscope. Her every move was scrutinized like few other freshmen in the Big Ten Conference.
Yet, it still was obvious to Badgers coach Jane Albright-Dieterle that Sims had shown only the tip of her iceberg-deep skills.
``LaTonya is the type of person who doesn't like to stand out," Albright-Dieterle said. ``Last season, when she had shades of dominance, she'd defer to the upperclassmen on the team.
``I haven't seen those shades this year. She's in a much better environment now. There aren't any people above her, anyone who has started four years.
``Now, she's the one who's taking charge; she wants to be that person."
It has shown, too. Sims has emerged as the Badgers' undisputed leader on the court. No longer is she content to play a supporting role. No longer is she satisfied to pass up shots, especially in critical situations, to appease her teammates.
That drastic change in attitude is vividly reflected in her stats. Through eight games, Sims is averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals. She ranks fifth among Big Ten players in scoring, seventh in steals and eighth in field-goal percentage.
At times, she's been downright amazing. When Wisconsin played Santa Clara on Nov. 20, Sims was virtually unstoppable. She scored a career-high 34 points, 11 more than her most productive game last season.
Sims' early-season success, however, hardly comes as a surprise to Albright-Dieterle. Like the popular car commercial, it took ``just one look" for Albright-Dieterle to know Sims had the makings of being a special player. That discovery came six years ago when Sim, then a freshman for Park, played in West Allis.
``I had actually gone to the game to see someone else play," Albright-Dieterle said. ``But when I saw LaTonya, I went crazy. I told one of my assistant coaches, `Forget about the kid I came to see. This LaTonya Sims is unbelievable.`
``I knew exactly then that she was something else, that she was going to be an elite player."
Sims is on the brink of fulfilling her coach's prophecy. Albright-Dieterle contends last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year is on course to becoming one of the best players in the conference if not the nation.
``I'd be very disappointed if she's not a first-team (Big Ten) selection as a sophomore this year," Albright-Dieterle said. ``I definitely know she has those capabilities. She should be one of the top five players in the Big Ten. If she doesn't reach that goal, I'd have to take a lot of the responsibility for her not reaching it."
The odds are Sims will live up to Albright-Dieterle's expectations. For in Sims' well-toned 170-pound frame lies the heart of a champion, a heart that beats incessantly to be the best. She is, in a word, driven. Driven, in part, by failure. Like the setback she incurred last summer.
Sims was one of just 25 players invited to try out for the USA Basketball Women's National Team in Colorado Springs, Colo. For one of the few times in her illustrious career, she couldn't measure up to the competition.
``When you look back at that, though, it could turn out to be a turning point in her career," Albright-Dieterle said. ``She saw how some girls were faster, bigger, better and how they were able to guard her.
``That wasn't the case here at Wisconsin. We brin guys in to guard her here, because there aren't a lot of people like her, especially as far as her athleticism.
``So, that tryout camp kind of blew her away, but at the same time, she's handled it in a positive way to motivate her."
Sims' rejection from the USA Team did indeed blow her away. She admitted being devastated, overcome by tears.
But that step back has helped her take two steps forward. The tryout only fanned her competitive fire. Determined to take her game to the next level, Sims worked almost daily the rest of the summer, spending considerable time on extending her shooting range and being better conditioned.
Like Albright-Dieterle, Sims believes there was a silver lining in failing to make the USA Team.
``It was a learning experience, a very valuable learning experience," Sims said. ``I got cut from the team, but i I hadn't gotten invited or cut, I would have never worked as hard as I did this summer."
Those countless hours spent on shooting jumpers are paying dividends. Her game has expanded. While almost exclusively an around-the-blocks player last season, Sims is now shooting with confidence from the perimeter and beyond.
Sims took only 12 3-point shots last season, making three. Going into tonight's game against Western Kentucky, Sims already has made three 3-pointers in nine attempts.
Her new, more-rounded game makes her a nightmare to defend. Just ask Jon Cain. He's an assistant coach for Marquette University who prepared the scouting report for the Golden Eagles' recent game against Wisconsin.
The bulk of Cain's preparatory work on the Badgers was on Sims.
``We had to focus our scouting report around her because she is so versatile,"Cain said. ``We made sure we knew where she was on the court at all times because she can do so many things with and without the basketball."
Cain's report certainly helped Marquette in its 81-73 victory over the Badgers. Sims had a subpar game, finishing with 13 points on a 5-for-15 shooting night. She had just two rebounds. Still, Sims left a distinct impression on Marquette coach Terri Mitchell.
``LaTonya is a tremendous athlete who can score inside and outside, which makes her harder to defend," Mitchell said. ``She'll be an integral part of Wisconsin's success this year and the next few seasons."
What Mitchell and most other observers didn't know about Sims on that night in Madison, however, was that she was playing with a broken heart.
On Thanksgiving morning, Sims learned her cousin, Adrian Smith, was shot and killed in Loisville, Ky. Smith, 17, was close to Sims, and the two got together at least twice a year.
The shocking news left Sims an emotional wreck.
``I didn't tell anybody about that except my teammates and coaches," Sims said. ``I didn't want to put that out until I rebounded from that. When I got the call early that morning, around 6 o'clock, I knew something was wrong.
``He and I were into a lot of the same things, sports, school. He was a straight-A student. He was my closest male cousin."
The mental anguish has subsided somewhat, Sims says, and she seems mentally sharp on the court again. At last week's Gene Hackerman Rice Invitational at Rice University, Sims' play earned her a spot on the all-tournament team.
It also reinforced in the minds of many that Sims is prepared to lead the Badgers to the Big Ten mountaintop, although you'll never hear her boast of her myriad talents. It's that kind of unfailing modesty that has endeared her to teammates.
``'Tonya is awesome," said senior center Amy Wiersma, who, like Sims, is one of Wisconsin's tri-captains. ``You know she's got the talent, and I think she can become one of the elite players in the country.
``But what's great is that 'Tonya is a very humble person, very down to earth. She doesn't put herself in front of the team and doesn't see herself as a star."
Which, of course, she is, a star that's rising higher and higher by the game.
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