Caitlin Clark’s young fans dream of emulating hero

ALBANY — The lobby was packed before the Sweet 16 games began, filled with wide-eyed young girls wanting to watch women’s college basketball — even when Caitlin Clark was not playing until Saturday afternoon.

The Oregon State band played as these young girls with their mother or father or grandmother or grandfather waited to be let inside MVP Arena to look at and dream a dream of their very own, the identical dream that Caitlin Clark dreamed once as a young girl growing up in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Caitlinsanity involves Albany:

“I like her and he or she’s inspiring to kids like me that prefer to play basketball,” said Kasey, an 8-year-old from Cooperstown.

So someday you would possibly grow as much as be Caitlin Clark?

“I would like to,” Kasey said. “I’m gonna attempt to.”

Rachel, from Latham, N.Y., is 15. She plays point guard for Shaker High School.

“If you’re watching her,” Rachel said, “she gets people excited, especially like when she takes shots from like half court.”

Is she an inspiration to you?

“Yes she is.”

Why?

“She just inspires people around the globe to love be higher.”

What’s it about her game you want the most effective?

“I feel it’s like her court awareness, and I don’t think people discuss that rather a lot … like not even taking a look at the player and he or she already knows where they’re on the court. She could similar to flip behind-the-back pass or whatever, and it gets to them.”

Rachel is one in all the lucky ones. She’ll be at MVP Arena watching Caitlin Clark and Iowa on Saturday against Colorado. Her grandmother Kathy got two tickets online.

“They were $230 apiece,” Kathy said.

Grandma played basketball once, too.

“I like Caitlin Clark,” she said. “She’s got an all-around game. Everybody form of picked on her because they said all she did was rating, but when you take a look at her assists, her rebounds, just her vision on the court is phenomenal.”

Is Caitlin inspirational to you?

“My playing days are looong over,” she said, and smiled, “but what’s inspirational is what she’s done for ladies’s basketball. Just seeing this turnout — I got here a number of years back after they had the tournament here, there was nothing like this. Nothing. You weren’t waiting to get inside.”

Julia is a 10-year-old point guard in U-11 in Hamilton, Canada.

“I like her,” she said.

Why?

“Because she’s a very good shooter and I would like to be similar to her.”

Julia loves Clark’s competitive fire: “I actually like how she gets offended when she keeps making mistakes because meaning she desires to recuperate.”

Kate Rueck’s father, Scott, is the ladies’s coach at Oregon State, a 70-65 winner over Notre Dame on Friday. His wife, Kerry, applauds Clark for pushing women’s basketball into the general public’s consciousness. Each of their daughters, 17-year-old Kate and 12-year-old Macey, are point guards.

“I feel she’s an inspiration to me,” Macey said, “because I would like to be like her and I would like to love make shots, obviously. And I feel it’s really impressive what she will be able to do.”

Asked why Clark is an inspiration to her, 10-year-old shooting guard Lindley from nearby Clifton Park said: “Because I would like to shoot like her.”

Her friend Emma, 10, also a shooting guard, added: “She’s amazing. She’s really good at shooting, and he or she’s really good at shooting like wide selection.”

Ella, 17, is a guard from Troy, Pa. She was wearing an Iowa sweatshirt.

“Oh, she’s easily the most effective college basketball [player] ever,” she said.

What’s it about her that you just like?

“Her kind of play. … Like her shooting. It’s just crazy.”

Her friend Brenna, 12, agrees. But it surely’s greater than the shooting that Ella really likes.

“Just how she’s like humble when she must be after which like she’s like cocky when she will be and assured.”

Bryan Vannoy coaches the highschool women’s team in Canton, Pa.

“I feel she’s absolutely phenomenal, and I’d say what separates her is she plays the sport with a Kobe Bryant-like mentality,” he said. “She puts every part on the ground and refuses to lose, and if she’s going to lose, you’re going to get every part she possibly has. And I also think that she holds her teammates accountable, form of in a Kobe Bryant aspect where she demands your best. And I feel the opposite players on her team give her her best … she just gets it out of ya. Such as you kinda don’t really have a alternative.”

Juliana is a guard.

“I like her form in shooting,” she said. “I like how she does her crossover.”

What do you think that Caitlin Clark has done for young girls like yourself?

“Probably inspired others to love work harder and be more dedicated to the game.”

Vakala, a 10-year-old: “I would like to grow as much as be a very good shooter and a very good player like her.”

Her sister Kalana is 14: “Her determination and watching her play similar to really inspires me to attempt to do good for basketball.”

Moira is a 9-year-old point guard and Caitlin Clark fan: “She’s a very good basketball player.”

How is she good? “She shoots 3s.” How does she encourage you? “Exertions.”

Greyson can also be 9. She plays center. “She shoots 3s, and he or she’s good.” How does Caitlin encourage you? “To work hard, and take a look at my best.”

Emily is 9. “She’s an incredible player.” What’s amazing about her? “Her shot, and her passes that she makes.” Why is she an inspiration to you? “She inspires me to wish to be like her once I grow up.”

A reporter mentioned to Caitlin Clark that he had gone to an area practice with an AAU team and middle school girls were wearing her No. 22.

“I feel that’s the most effective part about what I get to do,” she said. “I grew up having those role models and aspiring to be where I’m today. It’s super special to see your impact not only within the state of Iowa but across the country.

“And I feel that’s been the largest thing for us this yr is it hasn’t only been in Iowa. Obviously Iowa has supported us through and thru, but irrespective of where we go there’s so many individuals supporting us and wanting us to succeed.

“To give you the chance to have that impact on the following generation is absolutely special, and you only hope to dream and aspire to be such as you someday and chase in any case their dreams.”

Greatlin Clark.