Aaliyah Gayles Makes First College Basket After Year-Long Recovery

USC women's basketball player Aaliyah Gayles made her first basket as a college player on Tuesday night. While on most occasions this may not sound like a reason to celebrate, Gayles has so much to celebrate.

In April 2022, the then-18-year-old was shot multiple times at a house party in North Las Vegas, Nevada. After a long recovery and relearning to walk again, Gayles was able to get back on the court and play with her team earlier this season, but Tuesday night brought her an emotional first basket.

It's been a long, tough road for the basketball star. She started playing with her team earlier this season, which was an emotional moment, but scoring her first basket on Tuesday night proved to be even more exciting for her and her team.

Gayles made a 3-pointer and a free-throw during Tuesday's game, and in a postgame press conference, teammate McKenzie Forbes spoke about what that meant to the team.

"That's everything to us. That's our teammate. That's our sister, and we know how much it means to her so therefore, it means that much to us," she said. "I think basketball has been the most important thing to her, and we all know how hard she worked to get back and everything she's been through. We're just super happy for her. I'm super proud of her."

Gayles has played in three games so far this season. After playing in her first game she told ESPN, "It felt good."

"It boosted my confidence a little bit," she said. "I feel like I was back to my old self."

On April 16, 2022, Gayles was at a house party in Las Vegas, just one day after playing in the Jordan Brand Classic in Chicago. She was shot multiple times. The trauma surgeon at University Medical Center counted 18 bullet holes and estimated that she had been shot nine times in her arms and legs.

According to ESPN, "the bullets fractured her left forearm and damaged her wrist, her right arm above the elbow, her right thigh bone, her right shin, her right ankle, and her left shin."

An immediate concern was a ripped artery behind her left knee, as it was no longer able to distribute enough blood to her lower leg. That could mean amputation would become necessary if surgeons weren't able to repair the artery.

Gayle's father, Dwight Gayles, told ESPN that he "thought basketball was over" for his daughter.

"I'm thinking, like, reality. Both legs. Both arms," he said. "People don't just bounce back from something like that, you know? But I forgot who I was talking about."

A video shared on Gayle's Instagram page tells her whole story and just how dire it was.

In the video, Gayles said she went to a party and a group of girls came and started an argument that escalated. After her girlfriend was punched and she reacted, she was shot.

Both her arms and legs had injuries that were limb threatening - fractures in all extremities and her left leg involved blood vessels.

Gayles had to relearn how to walk during her recovery. When asked what she hopes for after recovery, Gayles said, "Another chance...at everything."

Another video telling her story was shared by USCWBB and Togethxr on Instagram.

"This is beautiful. Unreal. You deserve it all," one viewer wrote in the comment section of the video.

Another person added, "If that's not a commitment to your dream, I don't know what is! Way to be resilient. You are an inspiration."