SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The South Charleston Black Eagles girl’s basketball program has seen some of the state’s best talent come through. The Black Eagles have produced highly-talented players like Renee Montgomery and Alexis Hornbuckle.
Aaliyah Dunham, 2016 Mountain State Athletic Conference Player of the Year, added her name to that list during her prep career, but she, like Montgomery and Hornbuckle, built off that success into college.
Dunham became a well-known name in the Big East and Conference USA for Xavier and Marshall University. She played in every one of her college games, including starting in 111 of those games.
This past season, Dunham played for the Thundering Herd for head coach Tony Kemper. She started all 28 games last season for Kemper. Dunham ranked atop Conference USA in assist-to-turnover ratio, 2.47, last season.
The five-foot-four guard’s play was always on display on a nightly basis, which earned her the opportunity of a lifetime. She announced Monday that she was heading overseas to play professionally in Bosnia.
Excited to announce that I am officially a Professional basketball player❤️ Thank you to all my friends and family and coaches for the support. Excited to start my career off in with ZKK RMU Banovici in Bosnia 🇧🇦 pic.twitter.com/RfoZLjAfvu
— Aaliyah Dunham (@AyooRenea3) October 4, 2022
“It has been crazy,” Dunham said. “It was a quick turnaround. I signed the official contract on Sunday, and I had the flight booked on Wednesday. It has been a crazy last few days for myself and my family.”
Dunham has yet to soak in every little detail, but she knows that this moment ranks above and beyond anything else she has ever accomplished.
“It is number one because this is something that, growing up, I always wanted to do,” Dunham noted. “All of that leads up to where I am now.”
Dunham finished her collegiate career posting 1,003 points, dishing out 477 assists, and swiping away 203 steals. She knew that everything leading up to this moment would play out in her favor.
“I am grateful and blessed with the capabilities and opportunities in front of me. Not a lot of people get this chance,” Dunham said. “It means a lot to me because I try to be a positive role model. I have a lot of younger cousins and family members that look up to me. I want to implement that if you put your mind to something and work hard, then anything is possible if you grind it out.”
The former two-time Class AAA first-team all-state selection will begin her professional career with ZKK RMU Banovici. She knew that she always wanted to do it but did not quite know how to get there.
It was not until a discussion with Kemper that Dunham knew she had a shot at turning her dreams into a reality.
“After the season, coach Kemper sat me down and asked me what I wanted to do and how they could help,” Dunham stated. “That started the transition into what my future holds. We broke it all down from that process to highlight tapes and send those out. Agents contacted me and then showed me who would be best for me. Then it was in the agent’s hands to ensure everything else was taken care of, including interested teams and them getting my tape.”
The decision was difficult for Dunham as she had to analyze and pinpoint where she fits both on and off the court.
“The relationship side was important. Going to a foreign country, you want to know what you are getting into, and having a good relationship with the coaches is important to myself and other players,” Dunham said. “Being able to communicate through language barriers will be the toughest challenge. Being able to relate to someone on a different level, communicate with them, and have a relationship with them.”
Dunham was fortunate last season to play alongside Ksenjia Mitric, who is from Banja Lake, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Meitric was the first person Dunham called to understand the culture and tradition in her new home.
Dunham has certainly found her new home and will continue racking up big numbers in the scorebook consistently.