Linn-Mar’s Carly Printy finds fame — 8 million TikTok views — through misfortune

Carly Printy's 15 minutes of fame began with a 14-second video clip.

That clip — which began with the Linn-Mar High School graduate hoisting a no-look 20-footer toward the basket on her family's garage, and ended with the ball bounding back and hitting her on the head — had received more than 8 million views on her TikTok account as of Monday afternoon.

'When I went to bed Friday, it was pretty much just my friends on TikTok,' Printy said. 'They thought it was funny.'

Overnight, the audience mushroomed.

'It was around 2 million views already Saturday morning,' Printy said. 'I had gotten direct messages from Barstool and (ESPN's) SportsCenter, asking if they could post.

'I was like, 'Holy cow.''

Printy, 18, has signed to play basketball at Truman State University, where she will major in exercise science.

She was doing a solo workout in her driveway Friday, and decided afterward to videotape her circus shot, set to dance music.

'I had tried two or three before, and they didn't do much,' she said. 'I might have hit the rim or airballed them.'

Then came the keeper. Though it looks like she's shooting left-handed, the video is backward and she is shooting her natural righty.

Printy hoists the ball, folds her arms, puts her hands behind her head, shimmies her hips ...

Meanwhile, the ball bounds off the back of the rim and thumps Printy in the back of her head.

She collapses to the ground, holding her head, then gathers herself, doubling over in laughter.

Printy taped the episode, her cellphone against a water bottle on a table.

'Nobody else was out there,' she said. 'My parents were in the house. They didn't see it; I came in the house and I was dying laughing.

'I didn't expect it to blow up like this. I'm glad people are able to get some laughs from it.'

After returning to the driveway, head still aching, Printy tried the shot again a few times, finally making one.

She didn't bother sharing that video with the world. No way it would have topped her 'head-banger.'

Printy averaged 7.4 points per game last season as Linn-Mar finished 8-14. She scored 385 career points.

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