DeSimone’s basketball career had a late start
During her playing days at Uniontown 5-foot-7 Denise DeSimone was a sharpshooter on the basketball court, even though she feels she got a late start playing the game.
“I really started late,” DeSimone said. “I don’t think I started playing basketball until I was about in eighth grade. It was really as a result of friends. I had a lot of friends that were interested in athletics and sports. That was a different time so we had to go outside and find something to do. Basketball, softball that stuff was what we had as recreation. So, I started in eighth grade and enjoyed it and just continued along the way.
“The only program that we had outside of the school was in the summer recreation league at Bailey Park. I think the playgrounds were tremendous. It was a place to learn how to play and have the freedom to play how you wanted to play. It was great, I think in a lot of respects back then women’s teams were playground basketball, even in high school. But you played all summer with the same group and then played in school. There was a real understanding of how each other played and I think that was part of our success way back then.”
DeSimone helped the Lady Raiders post 53 wins in 64 games during her three years on the team, including two straight Section 3 championships.
“We played in the playoffs, but lost in the first round both years,” DeSimone stated.
“It was a lot of years ago and the opportunities were limited,” offered DeSimone. “But, I think we all were able to capitalize on our time that we played there and I think it was a great experience for us.
“We had a lot of success, I made a lot of good friends on that team.”
The Lady Raiders at that time were coached by Janet Escue.
“Coach Escue and I had a good relationship,” DeSimone said. “I think we were a close team.”
DeSimone tallied 878 points in her Uniontown career.
Softball was another sport the DeSimone excelled in, she was a key member of the Lady Raiders’ section championship as a senior.
DeSimone was named to the Pittsburgh Press Terrific 20 in basketball as a senior.
Following her senior season, DeSimone had the opportunity to showcase her skills in some postseason hoops tournaments. She was the first girl from Fayette County selected to play in the Colt Basketball Classic, an annual tournament that pitted the finest players in the western part of the state against each other.
DeSimone responded with an outstanding performance. She scored 19 points during the two games and was one of 10 girls selected from the 40 participating to compete in an all-star game at Franklin Regional High School.
“It was a great experience all around to be able to play with girls from different schools,” DeSimone said. “It was a good experience and a good tournament.
“It was definitely a showcase back then and there were a lot of coaches there. I ended up with five solid college offers. It was a few out of state and some in state. It ended up pretty well. I weighed the offers and decided to go to Washington & Jefferson.
W&J was in the midst of a pretty good run in women’s basketball when DeSimone arrived on the scene.
During DeSimone’s freshman season in 1979-80, W&J went 17-2 and was the Pennwood West Conference Champions. DeSimone averaged 19.1 points per game as a freshman and she was named All-PWC First Team.
DeSimone averaged 21.2 ppg in 1980-81, and helped W&J to a 15-4 record and another Pennwood West Conference Championship. She once again was named All-PWC First Team.
“We had a lot of success my freshman season,” DeSimone recalled. “We had some good freshman coming in and we had a solid year when I was a sophomore.”
DeSimone’s name still dots the W&J record book. She is tied for first for most points in a game with 40 against Bethany on Feb. 29, 1980. She is also tied for the second-most points in a game with 39 against Bethany on Feb. 8, 1980.
“It’s odd to me that those records are still there,” DeSimone explained. “I think it is as result of really good coaching in women’s basketball right now, not just offensively, but defensively. I’m sure a lot of girls have better ability than I did. It just hasn’t happened, it’s difficult. I don’t think it has anything to do with my skills being far superior. It’s a different game now.”
DeSimone transferred to Pitt after her sophomore season and didn’t play basketball.
“I had to make some judgments on what I wanted to do after college and is W&J the right fit for me,” DeSimone stated. “Do I enjoy playing basketball? I didn’t have a great relationship with coach Vicki Staton. It made more sense for me. I wanted to get into journalism and business, and that’s what I did at Pitt.”
DeSimone graduated from Pitt in 1983.
“Coincidentally, I’m doing an executive in residence program at Pitt right now,” DeSimone explained. “I’m working with their business school.”
DeSimone left Pitt and did some work in the city and then moved to Memphis, Tenn., and started her first business, Superior Metals, with her uncle. She was in Memphis for 16 years and then came back to Pittsburgh in the early 2000s.
While living in Pittsburgh, DeSimone is involved with several businesses: C-Leveled, TCG Technical Consulting Group, Steel City Comic Con and Industrious CFO.
“I think you learn some things in athletics,” explained DeSimone. “Ăĺ±±˝űµŘ really teaches hard work and dedication and collaboration. I think I’m where I’m supposed to be.”