Junior forward Stacy Clark, a former NCAA Division II athlete, is making her presence felt this season on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville women’s basketball team.
Her 15.9 points per game, which are second on the team, and her team-leading eight rebounds per game are major factors in the women’s team’s early success this year, posting five wins as of Tuesday and tying their win total from last season.
Clark, a middle school science education major, has brought her unique personality to the Pioneers, an aspect not lost on Pioneer head coach Megan Wilson.
“Stacy’s really funny. She makes me laugh often,” Wilson said. “Stacy is also a hard worker, both on the court and in the classroom. She goes hard all the time. She is an all-around good attitude to have on the team.”
Opponents should not be deceived by her reserved, sweetheart persona. On the court, she stands out. Standing at a height of 6’1”, Clark brings a back-to-the-basket game that the Pioneers lacked a year ago.
Clark’s emergence for the Pioneers has also helped fellow junior forward Alyssa Krajco’s game. With Clark in the post, Krajco is able to work from a variety of spots around the floor, helping her lead the team at 16.3 points per game.
Clark came to the Pioneers from Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo., after two seasons of little playing time. Still, while at Maryville, Clark received academic all-conference twice.
Clark approached UW-Platteville coaches and informed them that she was interested in transferring.
“Once she had a release, we started recruiting her,” Wilson said. “She came for a visit, and we were in constant contact with her. We were definitely interested in her becoming a Pioneer.”
Wilson’s interest was piqued by Clark’s long list of achievements as a high-school player at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Clark was selected second team all-state by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association and was a Des Moines Register third team all-state performer as a junior and senior in high school. She was also named all-district and all-conference three times.
Other deciding factors that influenced Clark’s choice was UW-Platteville’s middle school education program, as well as the coaches and players.
“I can tell the players work really hard and are dedicated. This team has a lot of people putting extra time in. Everyone has the same big, team goal. We have a lot of team players,” Clark said.
Clark will be a key for the Pioneers achieving their goal of reaching the WIAC Tournament in February.
