When Coach Tanysha Scott led her alma mater DeLaSalle to their first Class 3A state tournament girls’ basketball championship since 2013, many things came to mind.
There was the first time I saw her as a DeLaSalle point guard slashing and dashing her way down the court leaving nothing but a blur during an early season jamboree.
There was the time in the summer of 2001 when she played in the first annual Inner City All Star Classic girls’ basketball game following a stellar prep career for the Islanders.
There was the time when I saw her in four seasons as a point guard for the University of Minnesota Duluth.
There was the time she coached at Minneapolis South in the same gym that her sister Tayler Hill starred in for five years.
There was the time she left Minneapolis South to go back home and coach the place in which she made a name for herself.
There were the two state tournament appearances she led the Islanders to.
Finally, there was the day that she, her assistant coaches, and team became champions. Scott definitely coached the way she played — with fire, passion and intensity. Her team displayed the same qualities en route to the championship.
There was the toughness of freshmen point guard Kiani Lockett, the smoothness of backcourt mate and classmate Savannah White, the timely shooting of sophomore center Nora Francois, the deadly three-point shooting of freshman guard Sydney Runsewe, the inside scoring of junior forward Nurjei Wems, and the consistent and steady play of senior center Mary Claire Francois.
Scott’s imprint was evident throughout her team’s championship run. She made her mark in high school and continued to build on her success in college as a player.
Today, she is the coach of champions.
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