Reasons Nation’s No. 1 high school recruit Aaliyah Chavez could choose South Carolina

No. 2 Gamecocks among phenom's six finalists

Monterey guard Aaliyah Chavez, a star on the court and on social media, is reportedly seeking $1 million in NIL money. / Photo by Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal

She’s been compared with some of the greatest women’s guards in basketball history, and for good reason.

And for good reason, the South Carolina Gamecocks, and one of the greatest women's guards, want Aaliyah Chavez to play basketball for them.

A social media darling on and off the court, Lubbock (Texas) Monterey’s Aaliyah Chavez has used her dazzling play to amass 4,339 points during her basketball career, and her presence to gain 74,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 20,000 on TikTok.

According to reports, it is believed the 5-foot-11 senior guard and nation’s No. 1 high school girls basketball recruit is seeking a Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deal for around $1 million, so it should come as no surprise that Chavez will take her time deciding where to go.

After all, it’s not as if her play this season would do anything to hurt negotiations. As of Jan. 5, Chavez is averaging 31.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.1 steals per game through 28 games in the 2024-2025 season.

She scored a whopping 124 points at the Caprock Classic Dec. 27-29 in Lubbock.

While records seemingly fall with each game she plays, High School on SI decided to dive into each of her six finalists – South Carolina, UCLA, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and LSU – examining three reasons that could earn each program the final nod.

Of course, NIL will probably play the biggest factor in any decision she makes. Players of Chavez’s caliber are rare, and the social media presence she’s built will help play a key role in any future earnings.

With that in mind, here is a look at three reasons Chavez could choose the Gamecocks.

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Name

Like Chavez, the Gamecocks are one of the biggest names in the game.

Coming off an undefeated season and NCAA Women’s Division I National Championship in 2023-2024, the Gamecocks are perennially among the top teams in the country.

Ranked No. 2 as of Jan. 5 at 14-1 overall, they are again one of the favorites to reach the final four and compete for a national title.

Since 2012, the Gamecocks have reached the NCAA Tournament every year but the Covid-shortened 2019-2020 campaign, have made the Sweet 16 a whopping 11 times, Elite 8 seven times, the Final Four six times and won three national championships.

Any of the choices on Chavez’s final list will likely give her a great chance to win, but perhaps none better than the Gamecocks.

Image

If one thing is certain, Aaliyah Chavez will bring a spotlight wherever she goes. She’s a high school athlete with a huge head start on building a brand, but that brand – and its value – could be affected by where she chooses to go.

South Carolina should feel pretty good about providing a platform for Chavez to grow her brand. The Gamecocks are routinely in the national spotlight, and that certainly wouldn’t change with her on board. Nor would that hurt her pocketbook.

South Carolina does have stiff competition in this area, however. Another storied program on her list, No. 6 LSU, has a history of players within its program parlaying success into even bigger paydays while growing their brand – most notably Angel Reese and Flau’jae Robinson.

The bright lights of Los Angeles could be another appealing factor for Chavez, who is also weighing an offer from UCLA.

The next reason, however, could spell the difference for South Carolina.

Likeness

Led by legendary player and coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks possess one of the best all-around coaching staffs in the country.

Staley, of course, leads the way. She’s one of the greatest point guards in women’s basketball history – which could go a long way toward swaying one of the top point guards in the country.

As a player Staley was a three-time Olympic gold medalist, named National High School Player of the Year, two-time Naismith College Player of the Year (1991, 1992), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1991), was a first-round, ninth-overall pick in 1999 by the Charlotte Sting and a six-time WNBA All-Star (2001-2006), named to the WNBA 10th Anniversary Team (2006) and WNBA 15th Anniversary Team (2011).

That’s before a 17-year coaching career that’s earned her – among other awards – another Olympic gold medal, three national championships (2017, 2022, 2024), six final four appearances (2015, 2017, 2021-2024) and eight SEC championships.

She’s also been named Naismith Coach of the Year four times (2020, 2021-2024), AP National Coach of the Year twice (2020, 2024) and SEC Coach of the Year seven times (2014-2016, 2020, 2022-2024).

Her longtime associate, Lisa Boyer, joins Jolette Law, Winston Gandy, Mary Wooley and Khadijah Sessions on Staley’s staff. Law – known as one of the best recruiters in the country – Gandy – former Duke coach credited for his exceptional work with the team’s guards – and Sessions – in her second year with the program after a standout playing career – could play key roles in her recruitment.