Young athlete meets UConn basketball star ahead Final Four in Tampa

Young fan meets idol ahead of women's Final Four

FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - As the four top teams in the country face off in the NCAA Women's Final Four, the impact of these games reaches far beyond the court. And, one young athlete in Tampa got the experience of a lifetime this week.

The backstory:

Harper LaMarre, 11, is in sixth grade at Tampa Preparatory School, and she said basketball is in her blood.

"I've known how to like dribble and like shoot since I was four or five, and I started playing like a year or two ago," LaMarre said.

LaMarre said her family bleeds blue and white for the UConn Huskies.

"My mom, her and her dad watched it when she was like 10, probably around, I think she started watching it around my age, and then she started watching it around me, so it kind of like went into me, starting to love UConn so much," LaMarre said.

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That's how her love for one UConn superstar in particular was born.

When LaMarre found out that the UConn women's basketball team had made it to the 2025 NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa, she was ecstatic.

"The reason why I love Paige Bueckers is because she just has such a good attitude, and she just, like, brings laughter and smiles to everybody," she said.

Pictured: UConn women's basketball player Paige Bueckers with 11-year-old Harper LaMarre.

Big picture view:

LaMarre said Bueckers is undoubtedly her idol. She said she looks up to Bueckers and hopes to be just like her one day.

MORE: Women’s Final 4 events begin in Tampa

LaMarre didn't think she'd get the opportunity to come face-to-face with Bueckers, but she and her mom had the opportunity to watch the Women's Final Four teams land in Tampa on Tuesday.

"Paige is coming off the plane onto the like, tarmac area and I started crying so much even like, because I knew we weren't allowed to get autographs or anything, and they told us that. But if they come to you, you could," LaMarre said.

LaMarre decided to shoot her shot and call out to Bueckers to say hi. The next thing she knew, Bueckers said hi back and walked over to ask if she wanted a picture.

LaMarre burst into tears as her mom snapped a photo of her and Bueckers. LaMarre and her mom were both overcome with happy tears.

"It just was such a cool moment for her, she told me, because she loves UConn so, so, so much, like probably more than me," LaMarre said. "And she said ‘To watch my daughter go and meet her favorite player was just such a moment for her.’"

READ: NCAA unveils ‘Legacy Court,’ Tampa police prepare for large crowds ahead of Women's Final Four

Dig deeper:

The young basketball player hopes to look back on this memory one day when she's hopefully attending UConn herself. LaMarre said this is a memory that will stick with her and motivate her to keep pursuing her dreams.

"Just keep on trying for your goals, because you never know if you'll ever find them," LaMarre said. "Because if there's a chance, you could become the Paige Bueckers or the Simone Biles."

LaMarre and her family were able to secure tickets to the Final Four game on Friday to watch Bueckers and UConn take on UCLA.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered during an interview with 11-year-old Harper LaMarre.

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