by Marta Gomez, Cowgirl senior forward

LARMIE, Wyo. (February 23, 2019) – There are five conference games remaining in the Cowgirls' season and six seniors who will play their last game in front of the Wyoming fans on March 4^th in the Arena-Auditorium. Each game day leading up to Senior Night, one of the seniors will share her favorite memories, both on and off the court, from her career at the University of Wyoming. Today we talk with Clara Tapia, the point guard from Barcelona, Spain.
 
Clara started her career with the Cowgirls as a sophomore transfer. She had started a degree in medicine in Barcelona, but when coach Jankovic reached to her, she decided to start from zero in Laramie, Wyoming. When she arrived, she could not believe what she was becoming a part of.
 
"I was very impressed with the athletic facilities," explained Clara. "I felt really lucky, and I could not believe that I got to be part of all of it." Apart from being surprised and excited, Clara also struggled to communicate with people in English. She thinks that, in the beginning, it was really hard for her to be herself because of these problems trying to communicate with the rest of her teammates and coaches.
 
Life off the court has been great for Clara so far. She has enjoyed the chance to meet people from all over the world and it has made her realize how "small" she is. Having the opportunity to travel around the country with her teammates and spending time together has been one of the greatest experiences of her time as a Cowgirl. Also, she has been able to study something that she really likes, and it has made her gain a lot of knowledge.
 
On the court, Clara has become one of the greatest point guards in Cowgirl basketball history. She is currently 7^th all-time in assists in school history with 359, averaging 3.1 assists this season, and ranking 2^nd in the Mountain West with a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. She recorded her 300^th career assist against North Texas when she passed the ball for a three-pointer by Taylor Rusk.
 
"Basketball has been so fun," says Tapia. "I have had ups and downs, the team has had them as well, but overall it has been a really great experience." Clara's career as a cowgirl has been really successful, and during her time here at the University of Wyoming, the Cowgirls have only had winning seasons. Her favorite basketball memory while being a Cowgirl is beating Colorado University 82 to 75 in Boulder her sophomore year.
 
Clara is thankful for the opportunity she has been given. She thinks that it is something so unique that only a few people get to live. The biggest life lesson she has learned is to embrace the individual differences and to not be afraid of asking when you do not know something.
 
"Be curious," she finishes. "Find the way to make yourself happy first." When asking Clara if she would change something from these past years there is no hesitation in her answer: she would have come a year earlier.