NCAAW: Aaliyah Guyton already is a catalyst for the Iowa Hawkeyes

Basketball is in the blood of Iowa freshman Aaliyah Guyton.

As the daughter of former Brazilian National Team player Adriana Mafra and former Indiana Hoosier AJ Guyton, she was destined to continue the family lineage of ballers. The 5-foot-7 guard from Peoria, IL has come storming out the gates at Iowa as if she has something to prove.

In fact, she does have something to prove after missing the majority of her senior season at Peoria High School due to an ACL injury. Her future seemed to be uncertain until head coach Jan Jensen gave her the green light in November to play in the Hawkeyes’ first regular season game against Washington State. She played for two minutes and came away with two points as the Hawkeyes won handily, 72-43.

Since then, Guyton has become a catalyst off the bench with the potential to become the next big sensation to come out of Iowa City. She has played in every game for a total of 245 minutes and is averaging six points per game.

Her dynamism at the point, her maturity, her shooting abilities and vocal leadership showcase a young player well beyond her years. She has brought to the floor a combination of her parents’ pedigree, the youthful flair of a JuJu Watkins and a blossoming mystique that could translate into her own version of Kobe Bryant’s legendary Mamba Mentality.

All of that was on display on Tuesday, Jan. 28 against Northwestern, when Iowa staved off an unexpectedly tough challenge with an 85-80 win. Guyton played a huge role in carrying the Hawkeyes to their first home victory since Dec. 29 against Purdue. She finished with a career-high 15 points, three rebounds and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. She also hit two crucial free throws in the waning moments, just when it seemed as if the Wildcats were on the cusp of a comeback.

It was a moment where Guyton trained herself to be calm, cool and collected, as she explained after the game:

It just goes with the mental preparation and all the work the I know I put in behind the scenes. It’s just a confidence builder and I feel like if I have all of that and my teammates have that in me too. I’m set.

From here on out, expect Guyton to be entrusted to come through with the game on the line. While she has one start, which came against Illinois on Jan. 9, she’s likely to maintain her bench role, especially given the tough of upcoming stretch of Iowa’s schedule, which includes games against USC and UCLA. Jensen likes the dynamic as it is for now, recognizing the boost Guyton provides. After Tuesday’s game, she spoke about Guyton and her role, saying:

I think what I like about Aaliyah, she can come in this role at the 1 (point guard) or the 2 (shooting guard). Then, if I need a little help at the 1 or the 2 or want to give Lucy (Olsen) more help at the 1 or if I just simply want to take Lucy off the ball. So I don’t envision [Guyton starting] and I think Aaliyah….she will do whatever this team needs her to win.

Either way, Aaliyah Guyton has proven herself to be a ready and willing talent who has won the trust of her coach, her teammates and the fans.