Stevenson junior guard Nisha Musunuri won’t be pigeonholed.
Musunuri, whose parents are second-generation immigrants, has learned that defying expectations can be rewarding.
“As I continued to play basketball, I realized there were not many Indian girls like me,” Musunuri said. “In the Indian culture, you don’t see many females go into basketball due to the physicality required. I know I’m breaking stereotypes because Indian girls are not expected to be tough and physical.”
Musunuri is also breaking ankles on the court. Capable of zigzagging through defenses and unafraid of contact with her lean 5-foot-9 frame, she has helped guide the Patriots (26-3, 14-0) to the North Suburban Conference title and a No. 2 seed in the Class 4A Fremd Sectional. They will play either 15th-seeded Dundee-Crown or 18th-seeded Hoffman Estates in the Dundee-Crown Regional semifinals on Monday.
Musunuri, a second-year starter averaging 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 steals, takes pride in being a role model, and she has twin sisters, Niva and Niki, who are senior guards on the team.
“Diversity is a big part of Stevenson, so to pave the way for Indian female athletes is important to me,” Nisha Musunuri said.
Her father, Sanjoy Musunuri, said he always encouraged his daughters to play sports and that Nisha quickly showed she was a gifted athlete. They eventually discovered something else too.
“We were at an AAU showcase at Texas A&M with about 400 kids,” Sanjoy Musunuri said. “That’s when I realized she was different. She was playing on an elite team. That’s when it dawned on me. There was no one who looked like her playing there.”
Regan Carmichael, who coached Nisha Musunuri for two years for Full Package Athletics and is in her first season as Stevenson’s coach, said Musunuri’s athleticism is often overlooked by opponents.
“She has such long strides and such great body control,” Carmichael said. “She can do the Euro step really good. She has a very good vertical. She’s almost touching the backboard on her layups.”
Stevenson senior forward Emory Klatt, a four-year starter who has signed to play at DePaul, noted Musunuri is a three-level scorer.
“She can score so efficiently and quick,” Klatt said. “She’s also able to play at her own pace, which is something not a lot of players are able to do.”
Musunuri can catch opponents off guard, given her size, according to Klatt.
“Nisha may be small, but I think she’s really strong,” Klatt said. “She always seems to be doing weight and agility workouts. … She’s gotten so much stronger for when she drives to the basket, just bodying people up and not being afraid of the contact.”
Musunuri said she has made a point to use her size to her advantage.
“I think one of the most important things is how you use your build,” she said. “I’ll use a change of speeds and getting low to navigate a defense. I’ve adapted my play style to how I’m built.”
Musunuri was a key reserve for the Patriots during their run to the Class 4A state championship in 2022. With Kendell Williams and Simone Sawyer in foul trouble in the state semifinal against Benet, Musunuri scored four points and grabbed four rebounds in 20 minutes.
“She just has an ‘it’ factor quality to her,” Carmichael said. “She’s laser-focused. She will do anything to win.”
Musunuri, a National Honor Society member who has a 4.55 GPA, said high-pressure situations on the court don’t bother her.
“My mindset is always to be ready, even in that state semifinal game,” she said. “I get really nervous for big tests. But when it comes to basketball, I don’t shy away from big moments.”
Musunuri keeps busy. She also plays instruments, performs in musicals, is involved in Stevenson’s Freshman Mentor Program, and was a Future Business Leaders of America national qualifier and a Business Professionals of America state qualifier last year.
Musunuri would like to add another state title to her resume before embarking on another big goal.
“I want to go to a high-academic school and play for a good program,” she said.
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
