Aliyah Newton, a sophomore guard from Kaiapoi, New Zealand, brings an impressive competitive background and international experience to the USU Eastern women's basketball program. She was a five-year member of the Kaiapoi High School Senior Girls team and was named team MVP in each of her final two seasons. During her senior year, her team finished as runners-up in the Regional Canterbury High School and South Island competitions, while ranking among the top five teams in the South Island for three consecutive years. The team qualified for Nationals during each of those seasons and finished 11th in the country in her final year. Newton also competed in netball, rugby, korfball and volleyball and represented the Canterbury/North Canterbury region in various age-group competitions. In 2022, she represented New Zealand at the U17 3x3 competition in Malaysia and was selected for touring teams to Taiwan and China in 2024 and 2025.
Newton comes from a close and supportive sporting family. Her parents, Hayley and Matt, both played basketball and participated in a variety of sports, while her younger brother has also represented New Zealand in basketball. Her family has always encouraged and supported her to pursue her goals, both on and off the court, and has played an important role in her development as an athlete and as a person.
Outside of basketball, Newton enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outdoors, swimming and staying active. Academically, she plans to study health science and hopes to continue her education in the field. She chose USU Eastern because she believes it will provide a positive environment where she can continue to grow academically and athletically while receiving a quality education and developing as a basketball player.
