BOSTON — Six years ago to the day, Donovan Clingan’s life was irrevocably changed. He lost his mother, Stacey Porrini Clingan, to a battle with breast cancer.
“She was a big basketball player at Maine and had a great career,” the Connecticut center recalled. “Instead of going [to the] WNBA, she wanted to have kids and be a mom. She had me and my sister, and I just try to [remember her] through the game.”
Clingan’s passion for basketball came from Stacey, a three-time America East Conference selection who played in three NCAA tournaments and finished her career with 1,128 points, 929 rebounds and 220 blocks.
A center like him, she taught her son the sport. When she passed at the age of 42, it pushed him to go all-in. He used her memory as motivation. He had no choice but to make it.
Otherwise, Clingan felt he would be letting her down.
“It just gave me a reason to make her proud and gave me a way to represent her and feel like I still had an attachment to her,” the 7-foot-2 sophomore big man from Bristol, Conn. said, as top-seeded UConn prepared to meet No. 5 San Diego State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night at TD Garden. “She was the best mom anyone could ask for, and she influenced me in so many ways. I’m just hoping to make her proud.”
It’s hard to imagine her feeling any differently.
Her son is a projected lottery pick, one of the keys to the Huskies becoming the first repeat national champion since Florida in 2006-07.
A backup a year ago, Clingan became a starter this year, and is averaging 12.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.5 assists per game.
When UConn won its first Big East Tournament since 2011 a few weeks ago, it did so riding his broad shoulders.
He had 22 points and 16 rebounds that day while dominating Marquette’s standout forward, Oso Ighodaro.
Clingan was even better in an NCAA second-round victory over No. 9 Northwestern on Sunday, punishing the Wildcats in the paint with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots, living up to coach Dan Hurley’s nickname for him: Cling Kong.
“He’s dominating these games the way that he and Adama [Sanogo] dominated these games last March,” Hurley said.
Health is a major factor for Clingan.
He dealt with a pair of foot injuries, one during the preseason and another early during conference play.
Connecticut played it safe the second time, giving him extra time to get healthy. It has paid off. Clingan said this is the best he’s felt in a long time.
He’s recovering better, isn’t dealing with soreness and is playing like it.
When he takes the floor Thursday night, Clingan will be looking to lead Connecticut to another NCAA Tournament win.
His mom will be on his mind, like always. As traumatic as it was to lose her when he was 14 years old, it pushed him to get to this point.
“After she passed, I stepped it up a notch,” he said. “Just trying to expand my games in all ways and work that much harder to be great. Just trying to make her proud, trying to do things for her.”
