"Serena Williams is the GOAT, that's why she's my hero" - Rising basketball star from Oregon State picks American as one of her idols

Most of the tributes to Serena Williams on her evolution away from tennis had a common sentiment - that the American tennis great's legacy transcends tennis. Williams has inspired a whole new generation of athletes beyond tennis and rising basketball star Talia von Oelhoffen is one of them.

The young basketball player, who is one of the stars of the Oregon State Beavers women's team, recently called basketball legend Sue Bird and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams her sporting heroes.

While Bird's example is quite close in the sense that they belong to the same sport and Oelhoffen can learn a lot from her, her reason for regarding Williams as one of her biggest inspirations is simply because she is "the GOAT."

Oelhoffen, who plays as a guard for the Beavers, spoke about her sporting idols and expressed great admiration for Williams during a recent interview with the Pac-12 Network.

"My sports heroes are Sue Bird and Serena Williams," Oelhoffen expressed.

"Serena, she's the GOAT, so that's why she's my hero," she added.

The American youngster's advice for other rising athletes has shades of the positive mindset and belief that has helped Williams achieve many great things over the years.

"My advice for young people would just be to dream big and never hold yourself back from things. Everyone's path is different, so just because you might not be where other people around you are, does not mean that you should not work hard," Oelhoffen further expressed.

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When Serena Williams met basketball superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo

Serena Williams reacts during her 2022 US Open campaign.

Serena Williams is an inspiration not just for rising basketball players but also for established superstars of the sport. Among them is highly popular NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Greek-Nigerian player met Williams, her husband Alexis Ohanian, and their daughter Olympia earlier this year, and expressed his excitement at spending "family time with three GOATs."

"Great family time with three GOATs," Giannis wrote on Twitter.

Ohanian himself is an avid basketball fan and has often shown his support for Giannis, praising his performances in NBA matches. Meanwhile, Williams' tryst with basketball is not new as she is also known to be good friends with basketball legend LeBron James.

There has been a lot of speculation of late regarding Williams' potential comeback to tennis after the 41-year-old herself repeatedly teased the tennis world with comeback hints. While it remains quite improbable, only time will tell whether the American legend decides to play at least one more Grand Slam.