High School Basketball: Lubbock Monterey's Aaliyah Chavez embraces rock star attention
It’s not often you see a high school athlete treated like a rock star wherever they go, yet Aaliyah Chavez draws a crowd on and off the court for the Lubbock Monterey girls’ basketball team.
The junior guard – lauded by ESPN as the No. 1 women’s basketball college recruit for the Class of 2025 – was posing for pictures and signing autographs courtside Tuesday night at Wylie’s Bulldog Gym for many of the same youngsters who were rooting against her just minutes earlier.
“It was definitely weird at first, but I’ve gotten used to it, really seeing how many people look up to me,” Chavez said.
Chavez scored a game-high 26 points in the Lady Plainsmen’s 58-43 victory over Abilene Wylie in the District 4-5A game. It’s Monterey’s 14th consecutive victory.
Yet afterward, several Abilene youngsters — some wearing Wylie shirts — asked Chavez to pose for pictures and sign autographs while she was sitting next to her dad, Sonny, before the boys’ game started.
Aaliyah Chavez said she doesn’t mind all the attention.
“I think it’s special, especially doing it for the little kids — letting every little kid know it’s possible no matter where you’re from that you can do big things,” she said.
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Dad enjoys daughter's success
Her dad, Sonny, still marvels at the sight of his daughter signing autographs at home and on the road.
“It’s crazy, just knowing where we started and where we’re at and what all those hours in the gym can do for somebody, especially being from West Texas,” he said.
He still remembers when she first started playing basketball as a third grader.
“The goal when we started was to be the best,” he said. “Obviously, we were trying to be the best in Lubbock. We didn’t think it would be the best in the country.”
Nor did he envision his daughter would someday draw a crowd while playing high school ball — and handle it so well.
“I couldn’t be in that position,” he said. “I would let it get to my head. I’m cocky now, and I’m not the No. 1 player in the country.”
Even after what Aaliyah Chavez considered a sub-par performance in Tuesday’s game, she still accommodated the fans that approached her afterward.
“It’s good that she’s humble and she can do those things and still be level-headed about it and have a bad game and still take pictures and give autographs," her dad said. "Most people would let it bother them. Not that she’s not upset right now. She’s got a busted lip, and she didn’t have her best game, but she understands it’s part of the game.”
Chavez's charm
There was a time when Monterey coach Jill Schneider worried it might be too much for her star player.
“Her freshman year I felt a little protected of her, just because I didn’t want her to be overwhelmed,” Schneider said. “But she’s always handled it so well and with so much maturity. I think part of it is her personality. She’s happy to oblige people who want her picture taken and her autograph. There are people who will shove shoes at her and want them signed. She’ll just stand there and be very gracious. She’s really good with kids. She coaches younger players, so she’s really patient and friendly.”
Sonny Chavez said it’s a side of his daughter people don’t always see.
“They see the competitor; the person on the court,” he said “All they know about her is that she wants to win. She plays her (air) guitar running up and down the court every time she makes a shot or her team gets a stop. It’s easy to misconstrue who she is and what kind of person she is. It’s good to see her after a game letting these kids enjoy her and know it is possible for a West Texas kid to be on the national stage.”
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Lubbock Monterey's Aaliyah Chavez welcomes rock star attention on road
