Even she was young she was just a forgettable looking blonde chick. People just like the idea of a woman that can hoop a little bit.
Thats all it really is. What a lot of women fail to realize is that men (just like women) like athletic people of the opposite gender.
I can't remember a time when a girl (no matter the race) who played basketball, soccer, volleyball or ran track in high school or college. Didn't have dudes hollaring at them. Whether they were homely or pretty.
Unless they looked like straight up monsters guys were gonna hollar. Thats one of the things some of these weirdo femcels online don't understand. Why they think every male wanted to be on a sports team in school?