MONTICELLO – Rare indeed it is to encounter a player as talented as Monticello senior Aaliyah Mota. 

Since eighth grade when she joined the varsity Lady Panthers, Mota has been at the epicenter of the team’s revival after years of struggles including going winless the year prior to Ryan Jasper’s arrival as head coach. Mota does it all. Mota surpassed the 1000-point career scoring milestone. She averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals per game. 

By dint of her uncanny skill set as a passer, rebounder and defender, she made the rest of the players on the floor better. For the second consecutive year, the Lady Panthers made it to the big dance of sectional play. Clearly, Mota’s play was instrumental in that achievement. 

In looking back over the season, Mota notes, “It was on and off but mostly positive. We knew we had to make sectionals again and possibly get further. That was our goal from the start of the season. Our teamwork and chemistry were really positive factors.” 

A defensive force by dint of her quick feet and leaping ability, Mota averaged two blocked shots per game as evidenced by this all-ball rejection of …

The transition from Jasper to Sheila Burns as head coach was seamless. The team had worked with Burns who served as the JV coach and Jasper’s assistant. Burns, a former standout player for Jasper at Eldred on a team that reached the Final Four, has great basketball experience. Years of playing for, and then working with, Jasper made for a coaching style that fit the style and needs of the Lady Panthers. 

Monticello nearly beat powerful Goshen the first time out in a wild home game. Goshen had multiple scorers. The Lady Gladiators came back to beat the Montis in the rematch and again in Sectionals. Overall, Monticello ended the regular season at 10-10, same as last year. Mota, a Sullivan County All-Star and top 50 honoree among Section IX often encountered a box and one defense as teams were fully aware of her lethality. 

“I’d look for opportunities to pass and find an opening for another player,” such as fellow seniors and co-Sullivan County All-Stars Gianna DeMaio or Janee Vias or inside presence junior Amiah Neails. 

Mota’s parents Lisa and Henry have been extremely supportive and at nearly every game. Her dad’s voice from the stands often carried above all others, Mota noted with a smile. She candidly admits that for a while she fell “out of love” with basketball but soon was swept away by the game again. What she loves most about the game is the teamwork and great chemistry. 

Soft-spoken and humble, Mota is not a vocal leader. That said, her leadership comes from her play and her work ethic on the floor. Surprisingly, Mota’s superiority does not come from year-round play. One would think such talent was being honed by travel team ball but that is not the case. 

Asked about how her game evolved further from a year ago she talks about her handling the ball, finishing, rebounding and free throws. An avid fan of college womens basketball, Mota has absorbed much of what she has seen. The play at that level is more than just entertainment, it’s a teaching tool as well. A year ago, Mota expressed no interest in playing at the next level. But having been accepted at SUNY Sullivan and approached by coach Ben Newberg, she is now considering playing. If she does, no doubt she will be a great asset to the Lady Generals. 

Coach Burns had this to say: “As a first-year varsity coach, it was a pleasure to have an athlete like Aaliyah Mota on my team. Her athleticism paired with her ball handling skills allowed her to initiate our offense and score her 1000th career point. Her selflessness and humbleness made her a valuable teammate and captain.”

Monticello Athletic Director and former coach of Monticello girls basketball notes, “I have coached many great players throughout my career, but none with the raw talent and athleticism of Aaliyah Mota. During my first year in Monticello, I met Aaliyah who was an eighth grader at the time. She tried out for the varsity team and ultimately became a five-year starter. She is a generational talent who often left the crowd asking themselves, “How did she just do that”? More importantly, she is an even greater friend and teammate. She has been a foundational piece in the girls basketball team returning to sectional play after a long absence. Although she will be successful no matter what path she chooses in life, she will be greatly missed here at Monticello both on and off the court.”

Aalyiah Mota was deemed the 2021-22 Sullivan County Democrat Outstanding Athlete of the Winter. This year’s choice as the Democrat’s Winter MVP attests to her continued presence as one of the county’s elite.