Lady Devils coach ready for comeback

Burns back at courtside after missing 2018-2019 season

WM School District The day began like any normal preseason practice day for Shelia Burns.

The West Memphis Lady Devils head basketball coach was getting things ready for practice on that October day in 2018 as the regular season neared when she began to notice she was getting a headache. She reached for the Ibuprofen.

Burns then began to feel her mouth starting to droop as one of her former players, Porsche Byrd walked onto the court. Burns told Byrd she needed to follow her to her office in Lehr Arena.

Almost in an instant, Burns was unable to speak. She grabbed a notepad and scribbled a message to Byrd, telling her she was having a stroke.

And then it happened.

Burns lost movement in her right arm.

The rest of the day is a blur to Burns, the Lady Devil head coach for the last 23 years. The stroke landed her in the hospital for two months, followed by several more months of intense rehab.

Which leads her to today as she returns to coach her Lady Devils in the 2019-20 season, which begins Nov.

12 with a benefit game at home against Bartlett.

Burns still has some difficulty with her speech and she moves a little slower than she used to, but the improvement has been miraculous.

Unfortunately, Burns’ stroke was just the beginning of what turned out to be a season filled with tragedy for the Lady Devils.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, senior Jatava Murray was killed in an auto accident.

The Lady Devils coped as best they could during a 13-11 campaign that ended without qualifying for the state tournament.

“I promised my seniors I’d be back to coach them this year,” said Burns. “So here I am.”

Burns reunites with senior leaders Aryah Hazley, who is a three-year starter, and Cortasia Hollins, both named captains for the season. Hazley has led the Lady Devils in scoring the last two seasons and is being courted by some Division 1 colleges.

Leading the way down low for the West Memphis girls is senior Tierra Bradley, who has also started the last two seasons.

Burns also has high hopes for Janiyah Tucker, a Wonder Junior High ninth-grader who was moved up to varsity ball this season.

“Janiyah is very athletic and has great ball skills,” said Burns. “We think she’s going to be the next great player in West Memphis.

She’s a difference-maker.

I’ll have two point guards in the same lineup.”

Also back for their senior seasons and figuring to play key roles this season are Jamee Gholson and Aniaya Dean.

“Last year was a very rough year for the Lady Devils,” said Burns. “The girls never got settled.

Coach (Sonja) Tate (now at Paragould) did the best she could, but it was just something that was tough to overcome.

“This year I can already tell that it’s different. They are working hard. We’ll find out, but I think we’ll be all right.”