“She didn't have an athletic bone in her body”: Oklahoma commit Aaliyah Chavez’s dad opens up about her unexpected hooping talent

After months of waiting, the No. 1-ranked prospect from the class of 2025, Aaliyah Chavez, has chosen the Oklahoma Sooners as her college of choice. Before that, however, Chavez, along with her family, sat down with ESPN to discuss her unlikely rise to the top of the rankings.

There, her dad, Sonny, who used to play football when he was younger, revealed that they did not expect Chavez to be a basketball star. He said she didn't have any traits that would indicate that she would be good at any sport.

"She couldn't ride a bike, couldn't skateboard," Sonny Chavez told ESPN. "She didn't have an athletic bone in her body."

Her father revealed that when she was younger, Aaliyah Chavez would rather watch TV or hang out with her family and was not that interested in sports. However, when she was eight, the future Oklahoma commit surprised her parents when she asked to attend a basketball camp after seeing others playing basketball at the park.

Sonny Chavez admitted that while surprised by his daughter's request, he made a conditioning plan for her and had her do some drills.

"Early on, I would take a 3-pound medicine ball, just to teach her how to catch," he said. She was kind of clumsy. She couldn't catch the ball."

However, Aaliyah Chavez steadily improved and soon became the top hooper in her class.

Aaliyah Chavez was rejected from a youth team but given another chance

Aaliyah Chavez soon tried to join an older youth team, but because she was still very young and not very athletic, she was rejected. This only motivated the future High School No. 1 to become better.

"I ended up trying out for an older team and they told me I wasn't good enough," she said. "So it kind of motivated me. I was like, 'Uh-uh. I'm gonna show 'em.' I just started working and was like, 'Oh yeah. This is the sport for me.'"

However, another coach agreed to let her work out with a team of sixth graders and was actually impressed enough to get her to join his team. Because at that time, she was still in fourth grade, she got limited minutes, but those minutes soon increased as she improved.

"It took a lot out of me because a long time ago I used to just break down and was like, 'I'm done with basketball,' she told ESPN. "It was hard because I was just like, I can't. I'm having bad games. But I think once I started getting older and learning that it's just a game, win or lose, you're out here having fun.

"You're out here just to compete. So, next game, win or lose, I'm gonna be out there. I don't care who's in front of me. I'm gonna play the exact same way I played. I loved it," she added.

She soon rose up the ranks, going from an unathletic girl not interested in sports to becoming the nation's top hooper.