‘Mighty’ Mia Hopkins is shown putting on some of her moves against an opponent from the Washington Generals at the Mohegan Sun Arena Saturday night. Hopkins is a Pittston resident playing her first year as a Globetrotter.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Hometown crowd fills arena to see Globetrotters and Pittston native Hopkins
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Wilkes-Barre resident and legendary basketball coach Al Clocker gives some on-court instructions to ‘Mighty’ Mia Hopkins, a Pittston resident and Harlem Globetrotter in her rookie season, during the game on Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Amelia Jacobson, 11, of Mountain Top, is thrilled to get her shirt autographed by ‘Mighty’ Mia Hopkins, who happens to be a personal friend of her mother.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston resident ‘Mighty’ Mia Hopkins is shown performing with the Harlem Globetrotters on Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena. This is Hopkins’ first year on the team.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Ten-year-old Mia Hopkins super fan and basketball student, Brynnlee Balliet of Mount Carmel, was at the Harlem Globetrotters game at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night to see Hopkins in action.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Mathew Olmstead, 11, of Exeter, got an autograph and a photo with Pittston native and Harlem Globetrotter Mia Hopkins prior to the game against the Washington Generals.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Harlem Globetrotters coach Al Clocker, a Wilkes-Barre native, played an instrumental role in securing Pittston resident and basketball standout, Mia Hopkins, for the Globetrotters.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Wearing the same uniform worn by basketball legends like Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal, the newest member of the famed Harlem Globetrotters took the court Saturday night.
Her name? “Mighty” Mia.
That’s the moniker under which former Pittston Area basketball standout Mia Hopkins took the court in front of a packed crowd at the Mohegan Sun Arena, marking her first game in front of a hometown crowd as a member of the Globetrotters.
“I’m so excited to be able to put on for my city and my family,” Hopkins said before the Globetrotters hit the floor to take on the Washington Generals. “Coming into town and seeing the sign ‘Welcome Home Mighty’… it’s very welcoming.”
From the minute Hopkins — who scored 1,000 points at Pittston Area before embarking on a collegiate and professional career — stepped out onto the court to greet fans before the game, it was clear that “Mighty” had quite the fan base waiting for her.
Hopkins signed autographs and spoke to reporters before the game, and had a massive throng of fans waiting for her after the game, which the Globetrotters won by a final score of 116-82.
“I’m here to see Mia,” said Brynnlee Balliet, a young hooper who played with Mia at a camp over the summer.
“It’s so awesome to have a local player on the Globetrotters,” said Glynn Murphy, who came out to support Hopkins with his wife, Lucia.
Coach Clocker’s local ties
Hopkins was signed by the Globetrotters in December, after a tryout in Wildwood, N.J. She was recruited by Globetrotters coach and head scout Al Clocker, another familiar name to fans of Wyoming Valley basketball.
Clocker, who’s been working full-time with the Globetrotters for the past 16 years but has been a part of the organization for more than 30, got his start in basketball at Meyers High School and played on a full scholarship at Kings College back when the school’s basketball program played at the Division I level.
He spent a number of years coaching at the collegiate and semipro levels, and he was well aware of Hopkins’ talent when he brought her in for a tryout.
“Nothing makes me more proud than to have someone from the Wyoming Valley on the team,” Clocker said. “I have scouts all over the place, and Mia’s name just kept coming up and coming up.”
It’s the culmination of a long journey for Hopkins, with collegiate stops at Monmouth University, Bloomsburg University and West Chester University before heading overseas and playing in a few different countries.
“It’s been a journey, that’s the word right there,” Hopkins said. “It was a lot of ups and down, but I stayed the course and it paid off for me.”
Playing ‘at the highest level’
Hopkins had played a couple of games with the Globetrotter’s Blue Tour team in New England before making her grand return home Saturday, and she looked every bit the part against the Generals.
She scored four of her team’s first six points, dazzling fans and collecting the ankles of her opponents with a variety of moves and passes.
Hopkins also embraced the entertainment side of the Globetrotters, dancing with fans and even bringing one lucky child onto the court with her during the game.
The sheer amount of young hoopers who wanted pictures and autographs, particularly a lot of young girls, was not lost on Hopkins. She’s one of just three female Globetrotters with the team currently.
“I just want to show them that it’s possible to be here, to play at the highest level,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins was honored at halftime by a representative from the office of State Sen. Marty Flynn, who read aloud a proclamation from Flynn.
“Mighty” Mia and the rest of the Globetrotters will be on the court today in Hershey as part of the team’s Spread Game World Tour.
Before hitting the road, Hopkins left a few words of wisdom for anyone trying to follow in her footsteps and be the valley’s next Globetrotter.
“Believe in yourself, it starts with you,” she said. “You could do anything you want.”
