"You don't want that smoke": No. 1 recruit Aaliyah Chavez warns opponents after winning MVP award at Mamba Invitational
Aaliyah Chavez, the top player in the class of 2025 women's basketball, laced it up in the second Mamba League Invitational. The two-day tournament was held in Los Angeles, beginning on late Kobe Bryant’s birthday (August 23), with the finishing games held on the Kobe Bryant day on August 24.
Chaves not only participated against the best high school athletes in the nation but dominated in the invite-only league. Moreover, as she displayed a Kobe-like poise and mental strength to think a step ahead of her opponents, she earned the coveted Mamba League MVP.
Moreover, in one of Overtime Select's mixtapes, Aaliyah Chavez is seen warning her opponents of her competitiveness and taunting the players who didn't participate in the league.
“I'm in your town, and you're not lacing up. You don't want that smoke. You know who you are, you know who I'm talking about too,” she said.
Aaliyah Chavez didn't reveal the player she was referring to in the video. However, some fans believe her comment was directed towards California native Addie Deal (ranked second by 247Sports). Nonetheless, Deal, alongside her Mater Dei Girls teammates Amaya Williams, Kaeli Wynn and Devyn Kiernan, participated in the Mamba Invitational.
Other top California recruits like Grace Knox, Samari Bankhead and Aliyahna Morris were also present in the tournament, leaving Carly Amborn, a four-star Cali product, as one of Chavez's potential targets.
Aaliyah Chavez becomes first HS female player to write SLAM's diary
Chavez’s Mamba Invitational stint came just days after setting the scene for SLAM’s Classic run at Rucker Park, New York.
The five-foot-11 guard not only swept the crowd off its feet but made history by becoming the first female player to write the SLAM Basketball Diary, adding a unique layer to the tradition.
The Basketball Diary tradition has been going on for nearly three decades, featuring some of the biggest players to play in the NBA. However, until Aaliyah Chavez, it was always worded by men’s high school players.
The write-up begins with a brief behind-the-scenes into her mindset before she scored her 3000th point in high-school history and an outing to Wingstop with her dad to celebrate the same.
Chavez then gave insights into her day-to-day routine, acclimatization to playing on the road, love for Maths and more.