Isabella “Isa” Alaniz achieved a major milestone in her basketball career on Jan. 28, 2026,  scoring her 1,000th career point during a 77-41 game against Caney Creek. Wearing No. 21 with pride, Alaniz scored 13 points and secured her team  an eighth consecutive win over the Panthers. 

Alaniz has been a key member of the varsity girls basketball team since her freshman year, but her journey to this achievement began long before high school. Alaniz first picked up a basketball in the fourth grade at the YMCA. When asked why she started playing, her answer was simple. 

“I’ve grown up around basketball,” she said. “On my dad’s side, basketball was life.”

With a father who coached high school basketball, and a family who made the game a traditional part of reunions, basketball was always a part of Alaniz’s life. 

“They’ve been there for me since day one,” Alaniz said. “Especially my dad. I mean, he was always pushing me past my limits and making sure I was getting the best advice possible.”

Whether she was watching her father’s practices, or attending games, it didn’t matter. To her, every time she watched or played the sport, she fell more in love with the game. Eventually, Alaniz realized basketball was more than just a hobby, but instead something she wanted to pursue seriously.

By seventh grade, Alaniz began competing on an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team, allowing her to experience the sport in a more competitive atmosphere. Suddenly, she was faced with a faster pace and increased competition in ways she had never experienced before, but Alaniz was determined to not just overcome these challenges, but grow alongside them. After she earned a spot on the A team in both her seventh and eighth grade seasons, Alaniz began to understand the work it took to play against some of the top players in her age group. 

Although those early years of competition helped her prepare for the transition of playing basketball in high school, nothing could have fully prepared her for what came next. 

By ninth grade, Alaniz earned a spot on the varsity team, playing in front of college coaches at only 14 years old. She was no longer competing against people in her age group, and she began to understand the amount of pressure she felt as the only freshman on the team. 

“Ever since I was a freshman playing varsity, I knew I had to prove myself.”

Over each season, every game and practice Alaniz endured has shaped her into the player she is today. From a young age, Alaniz learned how to channel her passion into hard work, focusing not just on the score, but on improving her skills as well. She embraced every challenge she faced with a new season, and her determination and energy became just as important as her talent. 

Now a shooting guard and small forward, she leads the team in a field goal percentage of 42%, and ranks 3rd in the 6A Region II District 13, according to MaxPreps. After talking to head coach Ashley Davis, she explains that those numbers are simply a byproduct of her mindset. 

“She doesn’t chase points. They come naturally,” Davis said. “She understands how to play within the flow of the team and puts in the work behind the  scenes.”

Along with this, her hard work has not gone unnoticed by her teammates. 

“I was so happy for her,” teammate Caelyn Hoffman ’26 said. “She worked really hard for it.”

All of these attributes are what eventually led to the moment she had been anticipating for years, scoring her 1,000th career point. This milestone alone represents so much more than points on a stat sheet, but the countless early morning and late night practices, and hours of hard work in between. 

“Scoring 1,000 points felt unreal,” Alaniz said. “Being able to celebrate it with my teammates and my family made it even more special.”

Looking forward, Alaniz hopes to earn MVP or District Offensive MVP honors before graduating. After high school, she plans to continue her basketball career at the collegiate level, playing for Oklahoma Christian University. 

Alaniz’s path to 1,000 points is more than a milestone: it reflects a journey of persistence that has defined her as a player and continues to shape who she is becoming.