Chambana Sun

Fighting Illini women's basketball team has announced a new addition to their squad, Aaliyah Guyton. The rising sophomore, who previously played for the Iowa Hawkeyes, has signed a Big Ten Athletics Aid Agreement with the University of Illinois and will join the team for the 2025-26 season.

Aaliyah Guyton, originally from Peoria, Illinois, is a 5-foot-7-inch guard. During her freshman year at Iowa, she played in 29 games, averaging 4.7 points and 1.2 rebounds over 473 minutes. The Hawkeyes achieved a 23-11 overall record and a 10-8 record in Big Ten play during her time there, advancing to the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32.

Guyton's high school basketball career was notable at Peoria High School, where she was ranked No. 57 overall in the ESPN HoopGurlz Class of 2024 and was deemed the top player in Illinois for 2024 according to PrepGirlsHoops.com. Her junior season's performance included averages of 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, earning her the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year title for a second time. Unfortunately, her senior season was cut short due to injury.

Guyton also played for the Mac Irvin Fire AAU team. She is the daughter of Adriana Mafra and AJ Guyton.

Expressing her enthusiasm for the new addition, head coach Shauna Green stated, "I am absolutely thrilled to have Aaliyah join our family. We have known Aaliyah and her family for years. We know the type of person, worker, and player that she is. Aaliyah brings Big Ten experience to us and the ability to lead our team at the point guard position. She can score at all three levels, and she is an elite defender, which is critical in our system. I cannot wait to get Aaliyah to campus!"

Aaliyah Guyton shared her reasons for choosing Illinois, stating, "I chose Illinois because of the strong sense of community, the incredible growth opportunities, and the chance to be part of something meaningful alongside an amazing team and staff. I'm truly grateful to Coach Green for recruiting me again; it really speaks to the belief she has in me. I'm excited to get started and be a part of the FamILLy!"