'Flip a coin': Inside Aaliyah Chavez's decision to pick Oklahoma women's basketball

With the biggest decision of her life looming, Aaliyah Chavez went to sleep Monday night not knowing the choice she'd make.

The No. 1 women's basketball recruit in 2025, Chavez said the options were so difficult to choose from she didn't finalize her selection until hours before announcing the commitment to the entire country.

"There was a point where I was just gonna flip a coin," Chavez said, "because I love both schools equally."

The coin landed on Oklahoma.

Chavez declined to mention what school was on the other side of the narrow decision. The Monterey star released a top six of OU, LSU, South Carolina, Texas, Texas Tech and UCLA last July and wrote in a January entry in SLAM magazine her "top three" were the Sooners, Texas and hometown Tech.

OU checked all the boxes for Chavez. The senior sought a close relationship with her future coach and a style of play that mirrored hers. Jennie Baranczyk and the Sooners' fast-paced attack sealed the deal.

Baranczyk took over as OU's coach in 2021. The Sooners have reached at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament all four seasons under Baranczyk. OU, which is fifth in the country at 85.4 points per game, will face UConn in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.

"They play fast, and they like to shoot," Chavez said. "If y'all watch me play, I love to shoot, and I play fast. It just kind of matched how I played."

Baranczyk has coached five all-America selections at OU, including 2024 Big 12 co-player of the year Skylar Vann. Chavez mentioned Vann as a positive influence during her visits with the Sooners. The Monterey standout said there was a "different vibe" with all the OU players, including Skylar's sister. Zya Vann, a freshman guard, could be a key running mate for Chavez.

The Sooners also have 2025 commits in Keziah Lofton (Bethany, Okla.) and Brooklyn Stewart (Pine Creek, Colo.). Lofton is 50th and Stewart 62nd on ESPN's national recruiting rankings.

Chavez said Norman, Okla., reminds her of Lubbock — a small town that's big enough not everybody knows everybody. She said she looks forward to competing with some of the nation's best guards in the Southeastern Conference.

For now, there's a sense of relief the recruiting process is over. A highly touted prospect even before high school, Chavez has navigated the past four years under a microscope. She said the past few weeks have been "a lot," but she tried to block out external voices and focus on making the best choice.

"I definitely stay out of the comments," Chavez said. "… My decision was based off of mine and my family. I'm doing what's best for me and my family. At the end of the day, that's all I'm gonna worry about is my family."