OU star freshman Aaliyah Chavez hoping to 'put the world on notice' in NCAA Tournament

Aaliyah Chavez (2) cheers after a basket and foul during the women's college basketball game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the South Carolina at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Thursday Jan. 22, 2026.

Three hundred sixty-three days ago, Aaliyah Chavez sat with her dad, Sonny, in section 105, about 15 rows up, at the Lloyd Noble Center as OU faced Florida Gulf Coast in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. At the time, Chavez was still deciding where she was going to attend school the following year. The No. 1 recruit in the country, she was between Oklahoma and Texas. And she wanted to make one last trip to Norman before making her decision. “It was a great experience,” Chavez told SoonerScoop.com on March 22, 2025. “OU fans definitely show out for their team.” Chavez chose the Sooners three days after that visit to Norman, and one day after OU made the Sweet 16. And on Friday night, Chavez will have her debut in the Big Dance, which has turned players like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins in recent years into superstars. OU believes it could have the next superstar in Chavez.