Why Oklahoma's Freshman Phenom Aaliyah Chavez Can Be Great? She's 'Not Afraid to Fail'

NORMAN — Even super freshmen want to make a positive first impression with their new team. No body wants to be labeled a ball hog or a poor teammate on day one.

For last season’s Gatorade National Player of the Year, now billed as Oklahoma’s answer to Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark, that might have been the case on day one. The phenom that is Aaliyah Chavez approached her opening day of practice with the Sooners in a manner most would not assume from a premier shooter.

"I passed a lot on the first day," Chavez said at media day on Wednesday.

Chavez, a player whose senior year averages at Monterey High School in Lubbock, TX, read like a Larry Bird if he was born 20 years later, passed the ball "a lot" on day one?

Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma Sooner — Apr 1, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; McDonald's All American West guard Aaliyah Chavez, Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Jenni Baranczyk's 2025-26 Sooners are a balanced team. Not just in how they'll attack opponents on both ends of the floor, but in the makeup of their roster. With seven underclassmen, four of them true freshmen, and four upperclassmen, Oklahoma has what seems like a proper blend of youthful athleticism and veteran wisdom.

Those veterans knew what made Chavez great, and they quickly got to work with their talented freshman.

"I remember Payton (Verhulst) and Sahara (Williams) came up to me and said, 'We didn't bring you here to pass the ball,'" Chavez said with a chuckle. "We want you to shoot the ball, be you. Them allowing me to be myself was a huge thing."

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If OU wants to improve upon their Sweet 16 appearance last season, they've already done a great job in instilling confidence in their new, exciting player, whose commitment date was marked by ESPN cameras and a global audience. The women's basketball world is excited and curious for how Chavez will look in Baranczyk's system.

That's a lot of expectations for such a young player. Baranczyk is confident that the leaders on this team that have been within the program will help guide Chavez and the freshmen through the trials of a long season. "If our minds are on March already, then we're going to have a tough November."

Chavez has a wonderful resource with Raegan Beers, a senior who entered college at Oregon State with high expecations herself.

"When I got to Oregon State, a few of the other players had transferred out, so I was it," Beers said. "It helped me gain experienced faster and helped me understand that as a freshman you're going to fail."

Oklahoma Sooners Raegan Beers — Raegan Beers and Lexy Keys | SECSports.com

Oklahoma basketball, men's or women's, is no stranger to freshmen phenoms coming in with a lot of hype, riding the highs of spectacular play, only to hit a wall or two during their rookie campaign. Think of Jeremiah Fears last season for men's basketball, Trae Young nearly a decade ago or the Paris twins, Courtney and Ashley, during their run with Sherri Coale.

Beers knows that while failures are inevitable, you cannot fear them. You have to welcome them in order to become a better player. Chavez appears to be of the right mind for a player with her expectations.

"She has a willingness to fail," Beers said. "That's something you have to learn very quickly with our offense. Our freshmen have excelled phenomenally."

For Chavez, a player with an Atlas'-like weight of expectations on her shoulders, she's keeping things grounded, focusing on the team in order to prepare for the long road ahead.

"The first few months have been amazing," Chavez said. "Couldn't ask for a better teammates or a better program to play for. My teammates being there for me and helping me be in the right position."