NEWARK, NJ — From record breaking nights in Texas as a high schooler to stand out performances in the SEC as one of top Women’s College Basketball players in the nation, Aaliyah Chavez’s rise has been historic.
The Mexican-American freshman guard carries not only the expectations of a No. 1 recruit, but the visibility of a Latina athlete thriving at the highest level of women’s basketball.
Before becoming a national name, she once went two months without touching a single basketball. Under the guidance of her father, Chavez stepped away from the ball early in her development to focus strictly on footwork, balance, conditioning and basketball IQ.
The fundamentals came first. The scoring would come later.
“I think basketball is like, just an escape from everything,” Chavez said to ESPN in an interview. “When I touch the ball, I’m good. I don’t have to worry about anything.”
The Oklahoma guard’s high school resume reads like that of a future Hall of Famer. At Monterey High School in Lubbock, Texas, she scored nearly 4,800 career points and collected virtually every major honor available—becoming a McDonald’s All-American, the 2025 Naismith Prep Player of the Year and 2025 Gatorade National Player of the Year.
Aaliyah Chavez was named the 2025 Gatorade Female Basketball Player of the Year and won the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year Award twice (2024 and 2025) – Image Credit: @AALIYAH2CHAVEZ on X/Twitter/Rafas Graphics and Gatorade
The last distinction places her in elite company. Past recipients of the Gatorade National Player of the Year award, which is given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States, include legends such as Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers and many more players who went on to dominate at both the collegiate and professional levels.
For Chavez, a proud Mexican-American guard from Lubbock, Texas, the award carried even deeper meaning. Representation at that level is rare and powerful.
When the nation’s No.1 recruit arrived at Oklahoma, expectations were sky-high. And as a freshman, she hasn’t eased into the college game—she accelerated.
Today, she is one of the most electrifying young players in Women’s College Basketball.
As a freshman, she has already emerged as the Sooners’ and one of the SEC’s most dynamic players. She is not just living up to her expectations as a former National Player of the Year, she’s exceeding it. Leading Oklahoma in scoring, creating off the dribble, stretching defense with her range, and playing with a maturity beyond her years, the young Latina has quickly become one of the most impactful players in the country in just her first year.
Through her debut season at the collegiate level, she is averaging 18.1 points per game while leading Oklahoma in scoring, assists (4.2) and minutes played (32.1). She has already earned multiple SEC Freshman of the Week honors, solidifying her status as one of the conference’s most impactful first-year players.
More importantly, she’s doing it with the composure of a veteran. A product of years spent mastering fundamentals before headlines ever followed.
“It’s been a really long process but it also feels like yesterday, watching her (Chavez) before she was in high school,” Sooners head coach Jennie Baranczyk told Oklahoma University Daily. “At the end of the day, she picked our program because of the relationships she has with our coaches and our players. She really liked our team and our players.”
The Monterey High School standout’s rise comes at a time where women’s basketball is experiencing unprecedented growth. As television ratings climb and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities expand, visibility matters more than ever.
Aaliyah Chavez’s contributions on the floor has led the Sooners to a 19-6 overall record, including seven wins in SEC play with one being against No. 3 South Carolina – Image Credit: Oklahoma University Athletics
For young Latina athletes watching from all across the world, she presents proof that elite status is attainable. The awards may already link her name to some of College Basketball’s greatest players. But Aaliyah Chavez’s story is still unfolding.
If her early foundation, high school dominance and freshman-year breakout are any indication, she isn’t simply following the path of legends.
She is building one of her own.
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