Oklahoma Women's Baskell guard Aaliyah Chavez shatters records, claiming her eighth SEC Freshman honor and setting a new free-throw streak
NORMAN, Okla. - Aaliyah Chavez has etched her name into Southeastern Conference (SEC) history, earning the league's Freshman of the Week honor for an unprecedented eighth time during the 2025-26 season.
This latest accolade, ties her with Kentucky's Rhyne Howard (from the 2018-19 season) for the most such weekly awards by a freshman in SEC history. Chavez stands just one shy of matching Courtney Paris' Oklahoma single-season record of nine (Paris' was in the Big 12).
The freshman guard's dominant performance last week solidified her claim to the honor. Chavez averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steals across Oklahoma's two games.
In the Sooners' dominant 89-44 victory over Arkansas on Senior Night, she contributed 16 points, four assists, and two steals while going a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. That pair of makes extended her remarkable streak to 49 consecutive free throws made—a new SEC record—showcasing her composure and precision under pressure.
She followed up with an 18-point, seven-rebound, four-assist effort in an 84-78 road win at Missouri on Sunday. This performance extended her streak of double-digit scoring games to 23 consecutive, encompassing every SEC contest this season.
Chavez's consistency has been a cornerstone of Oklahoma's strong campaign, as the No. 7-ranked Sooners (23-6 overall, 11-5 in SEC play) closed the regular season with momentum.
Arriving in Norman as one of the most heralded recruits in recent memory, Chavez was the consensus national high school player of the year and the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class. Hailing from Lubbock, Texas, she starred at Monterey High School, where she averaged 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.7 steals as a senior, leading her team to a 5A Division II state championship. Her high school career included 4,796 points—ranking her among the all-time leaders—and nine 50-point games.
At Oklahoma, Chavez has lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations. She leads all qualifying true freshmen nationally in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game through 28 contests. Her six 25-point games surpass the combined total of every other SEC freshman. She boasts 21 games with at least 15 points, the most among first-year players league-wide.
Beyond scoring, Chavez paces SEC freshmen in assists and ranks as the only freshman nationally averaging at least 18.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game while keeping turnovers under 3.0 per contest.
This elite efficiency places her in rare company; she's one of just two players since 2009 to achieve those thresholds with such low turnovers, joining UConn's Paige Bueckers in 2020-21.
Her statistical profile includes a 38.0% field-goal percentage, 32.1% from three-point range, and an exceptional 93.1% from the free-throw line (95-of-102). Defensively, she contributes 1.6 steals per game, adding versatility to her offensive prowess.
As the Sooners head into the postseason, they earned the No. 5 seed in the 2026 SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. Oklahoma opens play on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. CT against the winner of the play-in game between Mississippi State and Florida, with the matchup airing on SEC Network. A victory would set up a Friday clash with No. 4-seeded LSU.
Chavez's impact extends beyond numbers—she's a national freshman of the year contender and has helped elevate Oklahoma's profile in its inaugural full SEC season. Her poise, scoring ability, and record-setting feats have made her a standout in one of the nation's toughest conferences.
As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on this dynamic freshman to see how far she can lead the Sooners in pursuit of postseason glory.