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Sims selected as VDN’s Girl’s Basketball Player of the Year

From starring at the local YMCA in her elementary days, Destini Sims soon blossomed into a true athlete who was leading her varsity team to three straight district championships.
After wrapping up her senior season in 2022 while averaging 11.2 points per game, six rebounds, and four assists, Sims was easily selected as VDN’s Girl’s Basketball Player of the Year.
Introduced to basketball at five years old, Sims, daughter of Dewayne and Tammi Sims, learned the game from her father who coached her youth basketball team and prepared her for stardom.
“I was able to learn the basics at a young age with my teammates,” Sims said. “Coming to the gym with my dad at eight years old and we would spend hours in here just simply shooting around and that’s when I really fell in love with the game of basketball.”
Whether it was youth basketball or varsity, Sims always found a way to be a champion as she always had to play up a level due to her advanced skills in both youth and junior high basketball.
Just a few years after playing Y ball, Sims found herself leading the varsity Missy Gators basketball team as a sophomore to a district championship under head coach Troy Stewart. She would remain a starter throughout the rest of her high school career where she would be at the top of her game as a senior.
Due the Missy Gators being stacked with talent, the team was destined for greatness but Sims always managed to step up when needed such as when she dropped 20 points against Forest Hill that got VHS the district title.
Although she enjoyed hearing her name called out by the announcers, Sims cherished the sisterhood bond she had with her teammates the most.
“The out of town trips and being with my teammates and coaches and we had plenty of fun throughout the years so I wouldn’t trade it at all,” Sims said.
Midway through her senior year, the Missy Gators found themselves on a nine game winning streak and had their eyes on a championship.
Sims helped VHS clinch a playoff spot and eventually would make it to the third round before losing to Neshoba Central where she fouled out late in the game.
As Sims looks back at her high school career, the long practices and hard work played a major role in her success but her faith is what saw her through it all.
“I just want to thank God because not everyone is given the talent to be able to go to school and play the sport they love so I have to give thanks to God and my coaches, teammates, family, my AAU team, and friends,” Sims said.
Although her time as a Missy Gator is up, Sims has become quite a prospect as she currently has over five scholarship offers to play on the next level.
Sims plans on announcing her next move soon but for now she can celebrate her being selected as the third person to win this award.
“It’s definitely a blessing when good things come to the light,” Sims said. “All the late nights I spent working out has paid off so I’m happy to see what I’ve done in the done dark has finally come to the light.”
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