'Girls can play too': Young metro girls inspired by female college basketball stars
Monday was another big night for Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. The knocked the defending champs, Louisiana State Tigers out of the NCAA tournament. A record 9.9 million viewers watched the game.
Many of those young girls play for the Iowa Impact Basketball club out of Council Bluffs, Iowa.
When he's not leading the Abraham Lincoln High boys basketball team, Jason Isaacson coaches some of the metro's youngest female ballers. And he's seen how quickly the support for women's basketball is growing.
"What, obviously, Caitlin Clark has done has been phenomenal," Isaacson said. "We're at tournaments and in between tournament games, they're getting around phones, just trying to watch the games."
"She seems like just a good shooter and everything, I just want to be like her," nine-year-old Brielle Fahn said.
Clark is just one athlete that young girls like eight-year-old Dawsyn Gradoville are watching closely.
"I've always loved basketball and I want to grow up and be like Caitlin Clark," Gradoville told KETV Newswatch 7.
To call Gradoville just a young fan, might be an understatement.
"I had a Caitlin Clark themed birthday party for my 8 year old birthday," Gradoville said.
Over in Omaha, players for the Omaha Aces with the Keys Foundation were on the edge of their seats, for a watch party of Monday night's game.
"It helps me get better, by looking at them and watching them do what they do," 11-year-old Kennedy Hill said.
Kennedy and her twin sister Brooklyn, hope stars like Clark and Angel Reese can show people what girls are capable of.
"Boys aren't the only ones who can play basketball girls can play too," Brooklyn said.
"I think girls can have a chance too, I just think they need their time to shine too," Kennedy said.