“You grow up attending college and NBA games, but to finally have the chance to step onto the court and play at that level is a truly special experience,” Nina Simotes Scott said.

Nina Simotes Scott graduated from Minooka in 2001. She was a basketball star, breaking two different records while also playing well on the volleyball team. After her high school career, she went on to play four years of Division 1 basketball at the University of Louisville. 

For her career as an athlete, Scott is being inducted into the MCHS Athletic Hall of Fame this year.

“Breaking a school record was never really a goal of mine,” Scott said. “For me, it was always about winning conference and advancing in regionals.”

Scott broke the record for most points scored in a game (36) while at MCHS. Then she broke the record for most career points ever at Minooka, which was 1,522 points.

Scott also received awards and accolades while at MCHS. She was named all-conference in basketball all four years at Minooka, and she earned two all-state special mentions from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. 

She stated that she always loved her community and that also impacted her love for basketball. 

“Besides my dad, the community had the biggest impact on my career,” Scott said. “I always talk about the ‘old Minooka’ days when everyone in town knew each other. I can’t tell you how many nights my dad would take me back up to the school gym to get some shots up. Back then, all the schools would be unlocked, and the janitors would let us practice anytime we wanted. My dad would even call up a few of my guy friends to come play one-on-one, three-on-three, etc. As a young athlete, it’s so important to have access to resources, and I was lucky that Minooka schools allowed us to practice when gyms were available.  I was also lucky to play for some amazing coaches not only in basketball, but also volleyball.”

Scott had a big impact on her teammates and the people around her. She was a strong, engaging player. Her high school coach, Ray Liberatore, who is also being inducted into the Hall of Fame at MCHS, knew that she was such a valuable player and continued to show his support to her when she went away to college. 

“I’ll never forget Coach Ray Liberatore organizing his team to come watch me play my freshman year at the University of Louisville,” Scott said. “It meant a lot that he organized a team outing to make the trip for the game.”

Scott will be recognized before the varsity Homecoming football game on Oct. 3. Other Hall of Fame inductees who will be recognized then include Dustin Williams (athlete), Tim Stevens (athlete), Ashley Jones (athlete), Ray Liberatore (coach), Bob Tyrell (special merit), and the 2013 softball team.