Rising Stars: Meet Aaliyah Moore

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Aaliyah Moore.

Hi Aaliyah, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Moore, Oklahoma. My mother and grandma basically raised me. I grew up surrounded by mostly all women in my family. My mom and Grandma are a huge part of the reason why I am the person I am today. Being surrounded by strong, independent women definitely had an impact on who I am today and my mindset.

Everyone in my family also played sports, so I was destined to be an athlete. My mom played college basketball at Alabama A&M and was really good. Once I was born and able to walk, she put me in sports, and I was a “natural,” as she would say. I started with Gymnastics first, then soccer, basketball, and volleyball soon after. I loved playing soccer, and it was actually pretty good. I had hoped to be the next Hope Solo and be the goalie for the USWSNT one day. Obviously, that did not happen because I ended up getting a nagging injury from playing soccer and decided to focus more on basketball.

I received my first D1 basketball Scholarship from Oklahoma State University in 8th grade, and from there, it took off. I started to get more focused on basketball and really went to work and received over 30 D1 offers from schools all around the world. I ended up choosing the University Of Texas, and I believe it was the best decision I could have made. I am now finishing up my Junior year at Texas and have two Big 12 Championships and two Elite 8 appearances under my belt. In my sophomore year at Texas, I unfortunately tore my ACL and had to miss the whole season, but I came back in 9 months in November of 2023. I ended up getting 2nd Team Big 12 All-Conference and 1st Team All-Conference in the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season.

I bring my injury up because it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through, and I grew so much from the experience. Off the court, academics are very important to me and my family. I will graduate next month (May 10th) with a degree in communication leadership, and by the grace of God, I was able to accomplish this in three years. It was also a dream of mine to attend a prodigious University and graduate in three years. The next goal is to get my master’s next fall, and I am currently waiting to see if I can get in. Fingers crossed, I get in because I am excited for this next step in my life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I mentioned before, but tearing my ACL during my sophomore year was the most challenging obstacle I’ve ever had to overcome. Off the court, I struggled a lot during my freshmen year with adjusting to being a student-athlete and being away from home.

I had to learn to do things on my own and not because my mom told me to or did it for me. It was also difficult balancing being a student and an athlete while trying to maintain a social life. Also, meeting new people was challenging because of the social anxiety that comes with being a freshman at a big university.

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a D1 College athlete, which I feel sets me apart from a lot of people. Playing basketball in Texas is my job right now, but I do have aspirations to become a sports broadcaster in the future.

Hoping to work for ESPN or Fox Sports and even own my own business one day. I’m most proud of the things I’ve been able to accomplish on and off the court because being a student-athlete is not easy, but I have an amazing support system that has always been there through every bump in the road.

So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
Family. Hands down, family matters and always will matter most to me. I would be nothing without them. My mom, grandma, cousins, aunt, uncles, etc. They all helped raise me, and for that, I owe them everything. I had a great childhood because of them, and I am forever grateful. My mom and grandma hardly miss a game.

They drive 5 1/2 hours from Oklahoma to Austin without hesitation and never complain. Whenever we have away games or travel for the tournaments, they try their best to still be at every game. They are truly my everything, and without them, I’d be nothing. I owe them everything, and I can’t wait for the day I can pay them back for everything they’ve done for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @aa.liyahmoore
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaliyah-moore-462693215/
• Twitter: @aal1yahM
• Podcast: https://www.studentathletepodcastnetwork.com/?fbclid=PAAaYvMFsdYH34iCqq7AvsN3p11dO7OEsYYU7aBiNhuA2h4yaAEL5cCVwTf_I_aem_AZsThEvNTCnSYbrDl8oeSA_9g6spLhsahuD8EHsKBojpZUd-f6LNl4yp6V0JlXPR6NU

Image Credits
@TexasWbb and @fotosgallegos