There's a good chance you'll see one North Texas athlete in the WNBA. But you'll have to wait a while.
That's because Finley Chastain is only in the eighth grade, but she's already one of the most sought-after athletes in her class.
“I’ve never done anything normal,” said Chastain, who first began playing basketball at age 5 and recently committed to play at the University of Tennessee.
“I just remember that I was obsessed with the game but also being the best at it,” she said.
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Growing up, she competed against boys often twice her age, brought home countless trophies and idolized one NBA player, in particular.
“Chris Paul is my main one, I would say. I just idolize his IQ,” said Chastain.
Her skills and stature grew. The 5-feet, 11-inch-tall middle schooler at Prosper ISD is now a top prospect for her class.
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She doesn't know where she's going to high school next year but already has college plans nailed down.
“I really did not have a dream school. I didn't love any school, so it was really just a blank slate,” she explained.
After receiving at least 10 scholarship offers, last month the eighth grader committed to the University of Tennessee, tweeting out the announcement with the caption, "When you know, you know."
“I know how blessed I am,” said Shawn Chastain, Finley’s dad. “It’s extremely early for someone her age to make a commitment but she's never done anything normal, so I told her, 'Why be normal now? Just do what you want to do.' She's mature enough to make that decision.”
Late last year, Finley Chastain finally marked meeting Chris Paul off her bucket list.
“I was like there's no way Chris Paul is standing right in front of me,” she said.
She said she dreams of competing in the WNBA and being the best player in the world.
Chastain is under a verbal commitment with Tennessee. She can formally commit during her junior year of high school.
