Last-Tear Poa has been making tremendous waves for the team since her entry into the Tigers roster. With her short departure from the hardwood after her concussion injury against Ole Miss in the SEC semifinals, the 5″1′ junior has grabbed a lot of attention. But what was surprising was that she returned to stand tall with her teammates as they took down Rice in the first round of the 2024 March Madness. So does she bring this drive for basketball from her family? Let us dive deep into the 7th Australian player in Kim Mulkey’s squad.

From bringing an offensive foul to Iowa’s Caitlin Clark in the National Championship game last year to putting her name first on the dirtiest work for the team, Last-Tear Poa has shown us the meaning of a good player. The No.13 has an incredible force for the Lady Tigers as they roar their way through the tournaments. While many would believe that the Polynesian hooper practiced it all herself, they may not know her background well.

Last-Tear Poa and her family

The roots of her culture deeply sit in the heart and soul of the junior guard. Her family originally descends from the Cook Islands in French Polynesia. However, her parents — Natasha Kairangi Poa and Philip Poa — live in Melbourne, Australia. Hence, she was also born there. Her father Philip is a kickboxer and carpenter with immaculate footwork, giving Last-Tear a knack for driving the game on her pace.

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On the other hand, most of her balling genes must have come down from her hooper mother Natasha. In fact, she has made quite some noise as a part of the Australian Women’s National Basketball League. Both parents have always supported their oldest of three, even if from far away. Last-Tear Poa also has two younger siblings — Heavenly and Kingston. Apparently, the three are very close and have conversations about everything and nothing on a regular basis. According to her interview with The Advocate last year, Poa told Jan Rsiher that she talks to them before every game while eating her Alfredo chicken pasta.

Apart from her primary family, the NJCAA Tournament MVP also has complete support from her grandparents — Richard and Debbie. They not only bring blessings for their beloved grandchild but have also traveled to the US to show up on her March Madness tourney.

While the Poa family may no longer be in Polynesia, they are very much connected to its very soul.

How does her descent impact Poa?

Last-Tear Poa is a proud French Polynesian and never skips a beat to talk about it to her American teammates as told to the Advocate. While she may get shy performing Hula in front of the Lady Tigers, she surely makes it a note to let them know how the guys perform Haka on any big occasion.

Apart from the celebratory traditions, Poa also has a serious belief in the various sayings in their culture. Her name is in the memory of the great-grandmother who predicted her birth. Although she could never meet the old soul, her connection remains with Poa in the form of a beauty mark. According to the impeccable Tigress, her great-grandmother died sometime before her birth, with a small tear beside her left eye. She believes that the beauty mark under her left eye is the mark of her great grandmother’s tear, hence the name ‘Last-Tear’.

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Last-Tear Poa and the Lady Tigers

Being the oldest sibling, Last-Tear brings her lessons to the court and practices that leadership as a hooper with her teammates. She has repeatedly displayed her selflessness on the hardwood. As a sophomore in her first year with LSU, Poa only grabbed 3.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, and dished 1.2 assists per game. However, her true strengths came out in the National Championship game against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The player who started two games in her 36 games in the year 2022-23 for the Tigers, averaged an impressive 87.9% shots from the free-throw line. She also only dropped eight 3-pointers in the season. But, against Iowa, she brought the beast out and with her playmaking skills, brought some foul troubles to the NCAA leading scorer Caitlin Clark. In fact, she made a huge impact on the National Championship game with the offensive foul in Clark, turning the tides towards LSU.

In the 2023-24 SEC tournament semifinals, Last-Tear Poa had an ugly fall against Ole Miss. Although the doctors marked the injury as a concussion, she was soon cleared to be back on the floor. And undoubtedly, she returned with the same game and won the first round for the Lady Tigers.

She is not only a significant part on the hardwood for LSU but also in the locker room. Many fellow players, including Angel Reese, prayed for their friend’s recovery. This shows that she is not just a pillar on the floor, but also a great companion off of it. It will be interesting to watch how far this junior goes and how her family and culture back her every step of the way.

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What do you think about Last-Tear Poa’s family?