Women's Hoops: Lizzy Spaight and Amalia Holguin sign with Texas

[Jeff Howe]

Aaliah Spaight is a top-50 recruit in the country. Five-foot-7 point guard out of Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.

[Jeff Howe]

Amalia Holguin is a 5-foot-9-inch guard from Newport Beach, Calif. (Sage Hill).

[Jeff Howe]

I'll post whatever information the program sends out on the signees whenever it becomes available.

[Rocky P]

Just now, Jeff Howe said:

I'll post whatever information the program sends out on the signees whenever it becomes available.

do you know if we are in the mix for any other 2026 wbb recruits?  

[Jeff Howe]

Here's a piece on Amalia Holguin, who was a part of Kobe Bryant's Mamba Academy:

https://youtu.be/l0pbt21UIKg?si=uAKIw4A1ZOQfE5uH

[HookemTexas]

Did they get any athletic bigs?  Heard they were competing against South Carolina and UConn but I think they didn't win out.

[Jeff Howe]

Here's the signing day press release from Texas:

University of Texas women’s basketball head coach Vic Schaefer announced the signing of Aaliah “Lizzy” Spaight (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Amalia Holguin (AH-MAH-LEE-UH, HOLE-GEEN)  (Newport Beach, Calif.) to the Texas women’s basketball program. 

The 5-7 guard, Spaight is rated No. 9 overall by Dan Olson’s Collegiate Basketball Report in the class of 2026. She played for the national championship on the Nike girls EYBL circuit with Why Not Premier. She led the EYBL tournament in scoring at 26.3 points per game and steals at 2.7 per game and was third in assists at 5.1 per game. 

Spaight earned placement on the Naismith Trophy Girls High School Player of the Year Watch List. She led her high school team Bishop Gorman to the 2024 state championship. Spaight was the 2023-24 Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year and a two-time Mamba League Champion as well as 2025 Mamba League MVP. 

Spaight averaged 19.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 3.8 steals per game this past season at Bishop Gorman. In 2024 she averaged 17.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 4.4 steals in leading her team to the Class 5A state championship and was named the Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year. Spaight averaged 23 points, 8.3 rebounds, six assists and six steals per game in her team’s three-game postseason run to the title. 

“She is a very dynamic player that can score at all three levels,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said. “I’m really excited about her athleticism and quickness that she can bring to the floor both offensively and defensively. She sees the floor well and can run a team. A fierce competitor, she will defend with pressure with her quickness, speed and athleticism. Aaliah comes from an amazing family. Gucci and Stephanie have been incredible throughout the process and its been great getting to know them. We are excited to be adding them to the Longhorn family and they are a perfect fit for us here on the Forty Acres.”

“I chose Texas because it’s a place that feels like a perfect fit,” Spaight said. “It will push me to be a better person and player on and off the court and compete for championships.”

Holguin is a 5-9 combo guard is rated No. 17 overall and the No. 5 two guard in the country by Dan Olson’s Collegiate Basketball Report. She played for the national championship on the Nike girls EYBL circuit with Why Not Premier and with Lizzy Spaight. Holguin was tenth in scoring in the EYBL tournament at 16.4 point per game. 

Holguin plays at Sage Hill high school and her team is 72-27 over three years and advanced to the Division I state championship game this year. Holguin is on pace to become the all-time leading scorer in program history. In her junior season Holguin was the MVP of the Redondo Union Tournament, MVP of the Pacific Coast League, First Team All CIF and First Team All-State. 

Holguin was part of the Mamba Academy and is the last current high school player coached by Kobe Bryant. She said she fell in love with the game being coached by Bryant and tries to play the game like it’s supposed to be played. 

“Amalia will bring instant offense and a competitive spirit to our program immediately,” Schaefer said. “She is a fierce competitor who played for the national championship on the Nike EYBL circuit with her teammate Lizzy Spaight. Her ability to stretch the floor is a much needed asset and will make us that much harder to defend as a team. Having been trained and coached by the late great Kobe Bryant, Amalia knows what it takes to win. She has a great family. Her Mother Flora and father James have been incredible throughout the entire process and we are so excited to be adding them to our Longhorn Family here on the Forty Acres.”

“I chose to attend The University of Texas at Austin because it immediately felt like home,” Holguin said. “The coaches were real, the players were welcoming, and the program’s culture stood out. Coach Vic Schaefer keeps it 100 and he pushes his players past their limits every day. That’s exactly what I was looking for in a coach. A coach and a team that would challenge me to grow and help me become successful both on and off the court.”