Texas women’s basketball head coach Vic Schaefer and his recruiting team got off to a hot start in their class of 2025 recruiting process with five-star guard Aaliyah Crump announcing her commitment to the Longhorns over Duke and Ohio State on July 8.
“She has tremendous upside,” Crump’s coach Brian Cosgriff said to the Star Tribune. “I think Texas is getting a great player with Aaliyah, who is only scratching the surface of her potential.
This “surface” potential has gotten Crump into one of the highest levels of basketball as only a sophomore in high school in 2022. Like her future teammates sophomore forward Madison Booker and freshman guard Jordan Lee, Crump has already worn the red, white and blue jersey for the United States under-17 national team.
She was invited to the 2022 USA Basketball Women’s U17 National Team Trials following her freshman year but ultimately failed to make the team. However, that didn’t stop her ambitions.
“I think I used it as motivation,” Crump said to USA Basketball. “Yes, I was one of the youngest, but my goal was still to make the team.
But that wasn’t the end of her national team dreams. Crump secured another call-up, this time to the inaugural USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team minicamp in Dallas.
“The basketball piece is obviously really important, but (it’s) also the relationships you build,” Crump said. “These are a bunch of high-level players and you can connect with them … talk to them about the game of basketball. It was a little bit more free and I got to meet new people and kind of see a different point of view of the USA Basketball experience.
This camp would result in her first gold medal for her national team in the FIBA Women’s U16 Americas Championship in Mérida, Mexico.
Her success isn’t only on international soil. As a junior at Minnetonka High School, Crump helped her team to the 4A Minnesota State Championship.
“She’s way up there skill-wise,” Cosgriff said to the Star Tribune. “I think her ability to work hard and her dedication definitely makes her one of the best I’ve coached. Her best basketball is ahead of her.
Outside the courts, Crump became the first high school student and first female athlete to sign a NIL deal with Klutch Athletics, a partner brand of New Balance.
“It’s an unbelievable honor for me to become the first high school player and first female athlete to join the Klutch Athletics roster,” Crump said to Sole Retriever. “In many ways, this is a dream come true for me to join a brand that is having such an impact on sport, culture and community. The product aligns perfectly with my needs and my style, and I’m thrilled to start the season in it.
Texas women’s basketball isn’t able to officially talk about the commitment until Crump officially signs the National Letter of Intent in November.
