Aaliyah Crump Recalls 'Family Feel' she Found on the Forty Acres

The Texas Longhorns have secured the No. 5 overall women’s basketball recruit from the class of 2025, all the way from Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Aliyah Crump will represent the Longhorns on the hardwood soon, but in the meantime, the highly sought-after small forward has revealed a little bit more about why she chose the Forty Acres as her next home. 

“It was a family feel, and I could just grasp that when I took my visit here,” she said. “You just could really tell that they cared about their players, not just on the court, but also off the court.”

Aliyah Crump's experiences before Texas

She will soon find herself far away from home, but the 17-year-old is no stranger to playing in different places. She competed for the USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Merida, Mexico, where her team accumulated a 6-0 record and won the gold medal. Additionally, Crump ranked second on the team in made three-pointers (seven) and three-point shooting (39%).

This summer, Crump traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado for the U19 National Team Trials, and national camps, trials and other experiences have also taken her to cities like Dallas and Portland.

What's next for Crump

Now, she will have the opportunity to establish herself as a collegiate player in Austin. 

“I think there’s just a lot of opportunity in Austin, so I love the city and there’s a lot to do outside of basketball, too,” she said. “So on those days where I have breaks, I know that I can find fun in other activities in the city.”

With basketball season spanning over such a large portion of the year, extensive off-time might be difficult to find. The women’s college basketball season kicks off on Nov. 3, 2025, with SEC conference play set to start on Jan 1, 2026. The season won’t end until early April, meaning that it stretches through the majority of the school year. 

The Longhorns have established a strong reputation over the past few years, especially by reaching the final four of the national tournament last season. Donning No. 23 for her inaugural season as a Longhorn, Crump could prove to be an instrumental asset to this group early on

“I’m most looking forward to just being around a new environment and being in a new environment and just being able to compete at a really high level in the SEC, and I’m just excited to play with my teammates and learn from my coaches,” she said. 

With head coach Vic Schaeffer and a strong squad of returning players to mentor her, Crump will have the opportunity to grow as a Longhorn throughout her tenure ahead.