Oklahoma University's women's basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk may have had the most supportive fan during her team's March Madness run this year: her 8-year-old daughter.
Baranczyk's daughter Jordi was in the stands to watch Oklahoma take on the University of California, Los Angeles, in the second round of the NCAA Women's Tournament on Monday.
She delivered sideline commentary and cheering that caught the attention of ESPN's cameras, and has since gone viral.
Jordi was heard on camera encouraging the players, yelling, "Do not let them stop you. Come on, defense."
At other points, she was seen clapping and reacting to plays and, at one point, let out a huge "Let's gooooo" cheer for the Sooners.
Jordi's mom is in her second season as the head coach of the Sooners' women's basketball team.
In addition to Jordi, Baranczyk is also the mom of two more children, a 10-year-old son named Eli and a 5-year-old daughter named Hope.
Baranczyk told "Good Morning America" that her three kids attend as many of the Sooners' games as possible, and that each takes on a different role at the games.
"My son kind of yells at the refs, Jordi kind of coaches the team and Hope is there for the concessions," Baranczyk said with a laugh, later adding, "I think as a coach's kid, you just get thrown into this life that is a little bit unique, especially when your mom is the coach."
Baranczyk said she was shocked to see all the attention Jordi has received online, but was not surprised to see her daughter cheering so passionately for the players.
"She got really invested in the sport and watching these women and so she just feels a very significant part of it," Baranczyk said of Jordi, whom she said she took on recruiting trips and to practices with her as an infant. "Sometimes as a mom you want to protect them and understand that it's not all about winning and losing, but you also don't want to stifle the passion that she has and the fact that she just really feels a part of what we're doing. That part I love."
Describing Jordi's cheering at the game on Monday, Baranczyk added, "She just gets very into the game. It wasn't a performance. That was her raw emotion."
The Sooners ultimately lost to UCLA on Monday 82-73, knocking them out of the tournament.
MORE: Watch as the crowd reacts when a blind basketball player makes a free throwJordi, however, is still making waves online.
The NCAA on Monday shared a video of Jordi cheering on the Sooners, with people commenting that they couldn't wait to see Jordi's future in basketball.
Coach in the making @OU_WBBall#MarchMadness x 🎥 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/dKWbQxYDgL
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 21, 2023
"She's gonna be a beast on the court," wrote one commenter.
"Can't wait to see her on the sideline!" wrote another, alluding to Jordi becoming a future coach.
Baranczyk said Jordi is a typical third grader who enjoys doing a variety of sports and activities.
She said she feels lucky that Jordi and her siblings are getting an up-close view of the college athletes she coaches, saying, "I love that they get to see these incredibly strong women work really hard and live out their dreams and fall down and get up and keep going and have passion in what they do."
Baranczyk said she also feels "proud" that Jordi is so invested in the Sooners women's team.
"As a mom and as a coach, I miss out on a lot of things," she said. "So I'm proud that she feels really a part of it, because I don't necessarily get the time that every other mom might get with their kids. So I love that we're in this together."
