Quaker Valley’s girls basketball team appears to be built for success.
The Quakers lost just one senior from last year’s WPIAL playoff team and are energized by 6-foot-5 senior guard/forward Oumou “Mimi” Thiero, a fourth-year starter and Maryland commit.
Thiero averaged 23.1 points and 16.7 rebounds last season, along with 3.9 steals, 3.8 blocks and 3.2 assists per game. She earned both all-section and all-state honors, as well as a spot on the Trib’s Terrific 10.
Thiero scored 30 or more points five times and grabbed 20 or more rebounds in six games, helping her team to ultimately reach the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals.
The Quakers improved from a 5-16 record two years ago to 15-10 last season.
Ken Johns, QV’s veteran coach, is excited about the potential of another growth spurt by the team in 2025-26.
“I’m excited because we have pretty much all of the players who contributed last year back with us,” Johns said. “We’ve had a good offseason of work and the continuity from last year is nice to have.
“My hope is that we continue the momentum we’ve built and just look to improve.”
Thiero, a guard/forward, has a chance to become the first girl to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a QV basketball career.
“My expectations for Mimi are the same as they have been and for everyone else: Show up every day looking to work hard and help the team be the best it can be,” Johns said. “Mimi has worked hard; you can see it in her approach and play.
“She had a busy summer of playing at a high level and that has carried over and been contagious to the rest of the team. They have all shown a great deal of commitment to improving. It’s been fun to see.”
Now that Thiero has put her college recruiting behind her, it’s time to stay focused on the high school season.
“The summer season was pretty good,” Thiero said. “We had a lot of good open gyms so our underclassmen could start to get used to seeing how practices will be during the season. We also got some good skill work in.
“I still have the same expectations, still working on getting to the Pete.”
The Maryland recruit, whose brother Adou was a second-round draft pick by the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers in the spring, was making a reference to Petersen Events Center, site of the WPIAL basketball championships.
There are talented athletes on the Quakers’ supporting cast in 2025-26.
“We have a number of returning players,” Johns said. “Seniors Mia Floro and Lucy Roig along with Mimi are a big part of our (team’s) leadership. Juniors Anna Campbell, Rose Cline and Maggie Watson, along with sophomore Keira Watson, all saw meaningful minutes last year and will be counted on to do the same this year.
“A number of them started games for us, and all contributed. We’re looking for them to do the same this year and, with another year under them of playing together, we’re starting from a spot we haven’t been able to in recent years.”
With a dynamic player like Thiero leading the way, Johns is not overly concerned about the Quakers’ offensive production.
“It has been nice to have most of the core group around for the preseason,” he said. “There are always a lot of things to work on, but for us the attention to detail and continuing to improve the individual fundamentals were big parts of our preseason.
“Now that we’re starting the season, we’ve been concentrating on improving as a unit — especially on defense. We focus on that every day. Staying connected and playing together on defense will be a big key for us.”
And yes, Theiro offers a dominant defensive presence, as well, for the Quakers.
“All of the players I’ve mentioned have worked hard and have improved in several areas,” Johns said. “Keira Watson started every game as a freshman and we put a lot on her plate. That will be the same this year and having a year of experience will help a lot. That’s true for Anna Campbell, as well. They have both improved in a lot of areas.
“And I really like the leadership the three seniors have displayed so far. Each in their own way, they have stepped into roles that we need to help us be as good as we can be. Mia, Lucy and Mimi all complement each other in their styles and approach to leading the team. They have done a good job in getting us ready to go. This a really connected group on and off the floor.”
Last season, the Quakers posted an 8-2 record in January and took a six-game winning streak as the No. 7 seed into the WPIAL playoffs where they defeated No. 10 McGuffey, 39-35, in the first round.
The QV girls lost 56-47 to No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic in the quarterfinals, followed by a 56-51 loss to No. 6 Avonworth in the consolation round.
Thiero led the team in several other statistical categories last year, such as field goal percentage (48%), rebounds (16.7 rpg), steals (109), blocks (94), free-throw percentage (67%) and 3-point percentage (33%).
In QV’s postseason, she averaged 28.5 ppg and 14.7 rpg with 25 points and 13 rebounds against McGuffey, 32 and 14 versus Greensburg Central Catholic and 28 and 17 against Avonworth.
QV finished second in Section 1-3A with a 10-4 record. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart captured the top spot at 14-0.
Riverside (9-5), Beaver Falls (9-5) and Ellwood City (8-6) also were playoff qualifiers in the section.
In the spring, Theiro won a WPIAL high jump title and placed second in the state, helping the QV tracksters win a couple of team championships.
Her performance in two sports didn’t go unnoticed. Thiero was named the TribLive HSSN Girls Athlete of the Year.