Tara Murray
The celebrations continue for Hoppers Crossing’s Last-Tear Poa as she revels in making history in being part of Louisiana State University’s NCAA division 1 national championship.
Back home for a couple more weeks after a whirlwind year which saw her make history, Poa said it was nice to enjoy the achievement with her family.
“It has been insane to come home and be with my family,” he said. “It was something that I wanted to do, come home and celebrate with them.
“It was just me in America. It was a proud moment for them to see what I’m doing. People don’t see what they have done, only what I have done, so it was really nice to celebrate with them.”
Poa said this year had been incredible on and off the court and something she would like to enjoy again.
LSU lost just two games on the way to its first division 1 national championship, with the competition captivating fans across the world.
Poa said it was insane being part of the finals in March madness.
“I would repeat that again,” she said.
“It was so unreal the fan base and the crowds supporting us so well. It was so intimidating, but it’s the type of environment I have worked hard to be part of.
“I loved the big crowds and all the energy. It didn’t matter who was scoring.”
Poa said they knew they were building something and they were able to build that chemistry and connection with each other.
She said it didn’t come without hard work though.
“We worked hard from the beginning, training four hours every single day,” she said.
“We worked hard for the whole month. It was a lot of sacrifice and accomplishment to achieve it.”
Poa didn’t always play large minutes but played a vital role for her side in their championship run, with her family watching from back home.
In the final she played six minutes and scored six points in the 102-85 win. It was her defence that really stood out.
“I had limited minutes, but I just did my job,” she said.
“Defending Caitilin Clark, she was literally a walking bucket. She’s the best shooter ever guarded.
“I tried to contain her and lock in on her.”
Poa said it was hard to judge her season individually with limited minutes, saying she just wanted to play her team for the role.
The win resulted in the team getting invited to the White House to meet American president Joe Biden.
“That was insane and I would love to do it again,” she said.
“I was back in Australia for three weeks and they asked me did I want to come. They flew me out there for two days.”
The championship is the second big win for Poa, who led Northwest Florida to the 2021 National Junior College Athletic Association national championship where she was crowned NJCAA Tournament MVP.
Poa will head back to America in the coming weeks, returning to LSU for another year.
Her main goal is to try and be a starter this time round.
“The coach has said that nothing is expected, it is earned,” she said. “I’ll come back and prepare better and try and earn my spot.”
