SLAM Miami's Jim'Miyah Branton is the Dade Girls' Basketball 4A-1A Player of the Year
Senior guard Jim'Miyah Branton was at the heart of those efforts.
Branton, a 5-7 point guard who has signed with Austin Peay State University, once again proved herself to be one of the most versatile players in the county this season while leading the Titans to the Class 3A state semifinals.
Branton's efforts earned her the Miami Herald's Class 4A-1A Girls' Basketball Player of the Year honors.
This season, Branton averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals per game to lead SLAM to its second consecutive regional championship.
'I had been planning to accomplish things like winning Player of the Year since I was little,' Branton said. 'I have to take that same work aspect into college because that will be a harder level. If I want to be great, I have to take everything with me and be level-headed.'
Branton, who will graduate next month with advanced coursework and plans to study sports medicine, said she improved this season in two different ways.
She became a better shooter and decision-maker on the court, which led the Titans to crucial wins down the stretch of the season. And she said she learned how to become a better leader, a quality she hopes to carry with her to the next level.
During her time at SLAM, Branton was a key part of the Titans' development from a sub-.500 program to a consistent state title contender.
While that effort fell short this season following a 65-52 loss to Sarasota Cardinal Mooney in the Class 3A state semifinals, Branton helped establish a foundation for future success at the school.
'I feel like I'm going to be the same player I was in high school,' Branton said. 'I'm going to prove a point and show everyone in the college world what I can do.'
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