Clemson Tigers Surprise Teammate with Mom's Visit for Birthday

Rusne Augustinaite's teammates brought her mother from Lithuania to watch her play for the first time

Feb. 3, 2026 at 11:23pm

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The Clemson University women's basketball team surprised player Rusne Augustinaite on her 22nd birthday by bringing her mother, Rasa, from Lithuania to the U.S. to watch her play. Augustinaite, who was raised in Lithuania, had not seen her mother during the basketball season in seven years. The team pooled money together to make the surprise visit possible, with head coach Shawn Poppie saying they had been planning it since Thanksgiving.

Why it matters

The heartwarming surprise highlights the close-knit team dynamic of the Clemson Tigers and the importance of family support for student-athletes who are far from home. Augustinaite's emotional reaction underscores how much it meant to her to have her mother there to witness her playing in the U.S. for the first time.

The details

In a video posted by Clemson, Augustinaite's teammates can be seen surprising her by bringing her mother to her doorstep on her birthday. Rasa then walks up and the two embrace, both in tears. Augustinaite's teammates also cried during the reunion. Rasa was able to attend Clemson's Jan. 29 game against SMU, which was the first time she had seen her daughter play basketball in the U.S.

  • On Jan. 27, Clemson posted the video of the birthday surprise.
  • Rasa arrived at her daughter's doorstep on Rusne Augustinaite's 22nd birthday.
  • The Clemson Tigers played against SMU on Jan. 29, which was the first time Rasa saw her daughter play in the U.S.

The players

Rusne Augustinaite

A Clemson University women's basketball player who was raised in Lithuania and had not seen her mother during the basketball season in seven years.

Rasa

Rusne Augustinaite's mother, who was brought from Lithuania to the U.S. by her daughter's teammates to surprise her for her 22nd birthday.

Shawn Poppie

The 40-year-old head coach of the Clemson Tigers women's basketball team, who said the team had been planning the surprise since Thanksgiving.

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What they’re saying

“The best thing you'll see all week. We've got a pretty special group.”

— Clemson University (Clemson University's social media)

“I'm so, so grateful. Where I was last year, and when I came here, and just the family we built, it's crazy.”

— Rusne Augustinaite, Clemson Tigers player (Clemson University video)

“Having her here just means so much, because, like I said, I haven't seen her during basketball season in seven years.”

— Rusne Augustinaite, Clemson Tigers player (Clemson University video)

“We planned this because I know how important it is to have your mom around, and having your mom to be at your games and everything, so really wanted to surprise Rus with this for her birthday.”

— Rusne Augustinaite's teammate (Clemson University video)

“The hardest part was holding on to the secret for that long. And then we had travel delays going on.”

— Shawn Poppie, Clemson Tigers head coach (FOX Carolina)

What’s next

Rusne Augustinaite and the Clemson Tigers will continue their season, with Rasa now able to attend her daughter's games in person for the first time.

The takeaway

The Clemson Tigers' heartwarming surprise for Rusne Augustinaite's birthday demonstrates the strong team bond and the importance of family support for student-athletes who are far from home, reminding us of the human side of collegiate sports.