Claire Chastain’s teammates give her a number of nicknames.

Some call her “Mom” others call her “Mama Claire,” but no matter what she’s called, the reason behind the name is the same.

Chastain, a fifth-year transfer from UT-Arlington, has become the surprising vocal leader for OSU this season, and her impact is felt up and down the roster, even by fellow seniors.

“We call her ‘mom’ for a reason,” OSU guard Naomie Alnatas said. “When you think about Claire, she’s really helpful, and on top of that she’s the woman that will calm you down, but she also is the one who brings the fire.”

Teammates and coaches gush about Chastain’s ability to rally the team, both in the locker room and on the court.

“I think that first of all, she just has a really special ability to bring people together and connect the dots,” OSU coach Jacie Hoyt said. “I think the fact she never stops, it’s not like some players where they might just lead in practice, or maybe just outside the lines, but she just does it all the time.”

While at UTA, Chastain established herself as a solid contributor on a good team, averaging at least nine points in each of her three healthy seasons for the Mavericks, including last season when she helped UTA reach the NCAA Tournament for just the third time.

While developing her game, Chastain blossomed into the impactful leader she has become.

“I would say it’s always been an innate thing within myself, but really, it came to light my senior year at UT-Arlington, just because I was a senior and I kind of needed to take on that role, and now I’ve taken on that role and I’ve really been able to lead our team,” Chastain said.

Chastain’s fiery leadership style mirrors the way she approaches the court. As a guard, Chastain leads the Cowgirls in blocks per game and isn’t afraid to take a defender into the post, as about 75% of her field goal attempts have come inside the 3-point line.

Her willingness to go low is reflected in her free throw attempts, where she ranks second on the team despite missing two games.

“She’s crucial to our team, she rebounds it, she facilitates, she sets screens, she is really that blue-collar player for us that does a lot on the floor,” Hoyt said.

While Chastain has proved to be an important piece of Hoyt’s rotation, her leadership ability is what stands out from her teammates’ perspective. She is always the first one up to greet a teammate when they are subbed out, slapping their hands each time.

“She has a sense of urgency right now as a fifth-year senior that I’ve never seen, ever, so she’s playing really hungry and urgent and it’s showing up in everything that she does,” Hoyt said.

The impact that Chastain has on her teammates has been second to none this season, and with the Cowgirls’ regular season coming to an end, Chastain’s leadership will be as important as ever going forward.

“Once you get a taste of it, you just want more and there’s nothing I want more than to finish out my career, finish out this chapter of my life, than making it to the NCAA Tournament and making some noise,” Chastain said.