Whenever an athlete gets hurt, there’s almost always the cliché that there’s a bright side the player has to look for.
Redshirt senior guard Dymond Simon has found hers.
The point guard sat out for all of last season due to a knee injury. She used the redshirt options so that she could come back and play this season, as long as she was healthy.
So, with her extra year at ASU, Simon decided to go for a master’s degree.
“I think without these injuries I really wouldn’t have had the opportunity to really sit down and concentrate on school,” Simon said. “In retrospect, it’s kind of a blessing.”
At the end of the spring semester, Simon will receive her master’s degree in liberal studies.
“Leaving here with my master’s is an awesome accomplishment,” Simon said. “I’m the first person in my family to actually do that, so I’m definitely looking forward to graduation.”
After coming back from that injury, Simon has been nothing short of crucial for the Sun Devils at times this season.
She leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points a game, which is good enough for 10th in the Pac-10. Her play at the top has brought the team though some tough stretches this season, and with that resume, Simon said she wouldn’t be using that major just yet.
“I definitely want to play professionally,” Simon said. “I want to keep playing for as long as I can, because I do feel I have a lot of basketball left in me. At the same time, I’m not looking too much into the future, but that’s definitely in the plans.”
As her senior year comes to a close, however, Simon acknowledges that there were setbacks due to her knee injuries.
“I wouldn’t say I accomplished what I want to accomplish, just because of all the circumstances,” Simon said. “But I think I’ve definitely learned a lot about myself through this whole entire process, and I’m just happy I had the opportunity to come to college and express my talents.”
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
