January 31, 2025
Sports

Suburban Life Most Valuable Athlete: Tatiana Thomas, Montini, freshman, basketball

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WHY SHE WAS SELECTED:

Montini freshman Tatiana Thomas scored 19 points and had 21 rebounds in the Lady Broncos' 60-54 win over New Berlin Eisenhower, the No. 1-ranked team in Wisconsin.

Thomas talked to Suburban Life sports editor Joshua Welge about her big game, and the season so far.

Here is an edited version of the transcript:

Welge: How big of a win was that?

Thomas: It was actually a pretty big win. We took a hard hit when we lost to Nazareth. This win boosted our confidence. We still need to work to keep getting better, but this was a good win against a good team.

Welge: Were you surprised when you heard how many rebounds you had?

Thomas: Yes, I was pretty surprised. When I'm playing I don't pay attention to how many points or rebounds I have. I just play. But finding out stuff like that puts a smile on your face.

Welge: How has your team dealt with the loss of [senior point guard] Sam [Mitchell, out for the year with a torn ACL]?

Thomas: That was pretty hard to deal with, but I think we're honestly doing OK. My teammate Sophie Sullivan, she is stepping up and being the point guard. I'm proud of her. Collectively as a team it was a big hit. Sam was our leader, and not having her on the court is hard. But she's still there for us.

Welge: You play with an aggressiveness unique to freshman. Have you always played that way?

Thomas: I've pretty much always played that way. I wanted to be on the court. I think I get that mindset from my mom. She is strong and I look up to her. She's a good inspiration for me to play hard.

Welge: Did you always live here?

Thomas: I actually moved to the Chicago area from Lewiston, Idaho in the sixth grade. It was a pretty big move, I was coming into a school with no friends. Sports has been very good for me.