Aaliyah Chavez snubs the Texas Longhorns, commits to a rival program

Aaliyah Chavez, the No. 1 women's basketball prospect in the class of 2026, announced her commitment on ESPN's SportsCenter.
Aaliyah Chavez, the Nation's No. 1 recruit and Texas State Champion watches the Longhorns warm up ahead of the their game against the Florida Gators, March 2, 2025.
Aaliyah Chavez, the Nation's No. 1 recruit and Texas State Champion watches the Longhorns warm up ahead of the their game against the Florida Gators, March 2, 2025. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Just a few weeks ago, the No. 1 women's basketball prospect in the nation had narrowed her decision to Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, LSU, South Carolina, and UCLA. Now, that same prospect has committed to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Aaliyah Chavez, a guard from Lubbock, TX, committed to the Sooners on national television, and as fans of both programs tuned into SportsCenter to watch her commitment live, she said she was excited to bring a national title to "the city of Norman."

While playing four seasons for Monterey High School, Chavez secured the team's first state title in nearly four and a half decades.

The guard is known for her shooting prowess, which she has displayed on numerous occasions throughout her recruiting process. Chavez played at the Nike World Basketball Festival and was named the captain of her Overtime Select team in Atlanta.

This season, Chavez was named the 2024-25 National Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year as well as being on the McDonald's All-American roster.

During the regular season, Chavez attended numerous collegiate games across the country, including the game when the Horns defeated the perennial South Carolina Gamecocks. After her commitment, she spoke highly of the Oklahoma program.

"They have great coaches, coaches that I've been talking to since I was in eighth grade," Chavez said. "They have a great playing style... I wanna play fast."

The world is not ending for the Longhorns without the Chavez commitment. One of her "demands" was that she wanted her team to play her style of ball, something that might not mesh well with Texas head coach Vic Schaefer's style of coaching.

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