Storybook ending as No. 1 phenom Aaliyah Chavez stamps her place in high school basketball history

Nation's top recruit, Aaliyah Chavez moves into top 10 all-time, wins state championship in final varsity game

Monterey's Aaliyah Chavez holds the Class 5A Division II state championship girls basketball trophy on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Monterey defeated Liberty Hill 64-35. / Angela Piazza/USA Today Network via Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The stage was set. The lights inside San Antonio’s Alamodome were at their brightest. One final chapter remained to be written in the storybook career of one of the greatest high school girls basketball players of all time.

It couldn’t have been written better. The player with nine 50-point games in her career drew the crowd and the media. People had talked all week about how they couldn’t wait to watch that game, to see Chavez one final time.

Lubbock Monterey guard Aaliyah Chavez (2) smiles from the bench ahead of the Texas UIL 5A Division 2 State Championship at the Alamodome in San Antonio, March 1, 2025. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

She did her best to put on a show, putting up 26 shots, mostly in the face of two or three defenders and rarely had an open look. That’s how it goes when you’re the best in the country.

But winning is what Aaliyah Chavez does. The proverbial “you can’t stop her, you can only hope to contain her” athlete, the 5-foot-11 senior fought the pressure and still finished with 19 points after draining a late 3-pointer with the game well in hand.

Lubbock Monterey guard Aaliyah Chavez (2) shoots for three points in the third quarter of the Texas UIL 5A Division 2 State Championship at the Alamodome in San Antonio, March 1, 2025. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

She won 5A Division II finals MVP – edging out teammate Ambrosia Cole who had 16 points and 12 boards – and walked off the floor for the final time in her high school career with her first state championship.

She made loads of history in the process.

The accomplishment she cares about the most, she’ll say, is the state title. It was really the only thing in her high school career she hadn’t achieved, mostly because it was about the only one she couldn’t get on her own.

Read more stories about Aaliyah Chavez's historic career here.

Rather than transferring to a plush program, Chavez vowed to bring a title to Monterey. And she delivered.

Saturday’s dominant 64-35 win over No. 11 Liberty Hill handed the Lady Plainsmen their second state championship in program history and first in 44 years (1981). Prior to Saturday, the Lady Plainsmen hadn’t been to the state finals since 1990.

Monterey's Aaliyah Chavez celebrates after the Class 5A Division II state championship girls basketball game on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Monterey defeated Liberty Hill 64-35. / Angela Piazza/USA Today Network via Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Chavez also set personal and historic marks in the win.

With 19 points, she finishes her varsity career with 4,796 points which places her 14th all-time in career scoring, surpassing Delta Academy’s Lindsay Roy (Marks, Mississippi) who set the mark from 2008-2012, per MaxPreps records.

After moving into 16th all-time in single season scoring with 1,324 points as a junior last season, she bumped herself down to 17th by easily surpassing that mark this year. She finished her senior campaign with 1,451 points, good for 10th all-time – bumping Southeast Lauderdale’s Monique Horner (Meridian, Mississippi, 2000-2001) to 11th.

Monterey's Aaliyah Chavez shoots a basket during the Class 5A Division II state championship girls basketball game on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. / Angela Piazza/USA Today Network via Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

She’s the only player to crack the top 20 in all-time single season scoring since Bishop’s Destiny Littleton (La Jolla, Calif.) scored 1,366 during the 2016-2017 season.

Chavez is also one of five players to appear more than once in the top 20, joining Geri Grigsby (McDowell, Kentucky, 1976-1977), Adriana McGowen (Goodrich, Texas, 2004-2005), Victoria Vivians (Scott Central, Forest, Mississippi, 2013-2014) and Mary Katheryn Govero (Mt. Salus Christian, Clinton, Mississippi, 2005-2006).

Monterey's Aaliyah Chavez dribbles past Liberty Hill's Reagan Robbins during the Class 5A Division II state championship girls basketball game on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. / Angela Piazza/USA Today Network via Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For her career, Chavez totaled 4,796 points, 1,279 rebounds, 771 assists, 476 steals and 134 blocks. In 150 career games, she averaged 31.97 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.1 steals.

As the country awaits her March 25 decision on whether she’ll attend Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma or South Carolina, it appears more hardware likely awaits Chavez. She’s among the favorites for Gatorade Player of the Year and Naismith Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors and she’ll participate in the 2025 McDonald’s All-American game on April 1.

Lubbock Monterey guard Aaliyah Chavez (2) celebrates the team's 64-35 Texas UIL 5A Division 2 State Championship victory over Liberty Hill at the Alamodome in San Antonio, March 1, 2025. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images