Link to Article on The Red & Black
Olivia Sayer
Georgia head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson during a match against South Carolina at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga., on Monday, Jan. 02, 2023. (Photo by Zachery C. Kelly)
Aubrey Beckham is staying home.
The 5-star guard from Hebron Christian Academy announced her commitment to Georgia women’s basketball on Aug. 26. Beckham is the program’s first commit to hail from the state of Georgia since 2021 and the first of head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson’s tenure.
Beckham said the school’s close proximity to her home of Dacula, Georgia played a major factor in her commitment. Hebron is less than an hour away from Stegeman Coliseum, making it convenient for her family to watch her play.
“My parents, my little brother and my little sister come to all of my games,” Beckham told The Red & Black. “Obviously, there’s going to be games they’re not going to be there. But I couldn’t imagine every single one of them, looking into the stands and they’re not there.”
Beckham, who is listed as ESPN’s No. 30 prospect, also likes how her style of play fits into Georgia’s scheme. She said she prides herself on her defense, which fits right in with Georgia’s philosophy.
“What I love about what Coach Abe’s doing at Georgia right now is her emphasis on defense,” Beckham’s high school coach Jan Azar told The Red & Black. “And Aubrey prides herself on making defense a priority.”
According to Azar, Beckham’s selflessness sets her apart from many other top prospects. The winningest basketball coach in the history of the Georgia High School Association said Beckham does not “try to make the game about herself,” which equates to success on the court.
“A point guard who can take over when necessary and also make her teammates be their best, that’s what makes her a high-level player,” Azar said.
Beckham said her coaches and parents stressed the idea of working together as a team to her from a very young age.
“It’s a team sport,” Beckham said. “There’s five players on the court, and you couldn’t do it 5v1.”
Last season, Beckham helped lead Hebron to its second-consecutive state championship. In her three years on the team, she has already accumulated over 1,000-career points and 400 assists. Her performance made her a two-time winner of the Class 3A, Region 8 Player of the Year award.
Beckham ultimately chose Georgia over Florida, Auburn, Indiana, Mississippi State and Baylor. She said her comfortability with the coaching staff made a difference because she wanted to “be able to go to the coaches and talk to them on and off the floor.”
The Bulldogs built their relationship with Beckham by attending her games, texting her and caring beyond just athletics. The highly-touted recruit said the Georgia staff knows her strengths and weaknesses but also got to know her “away from the court.”
Beckham also said one moment that stands out to her occurred during Hebron’s state game.
“[Abrahamson-Henderson] was there, front row,” Beckham said.
Aside from athletics, Georgia made a strong pitch to Beckham due to its academic reputation. The high school senior holds a 4.0 GPA and said keeping up with her grades has “always been a priority.”
For college, she has not completely decided on a major yet but is currently leaning towards business, finance or accounting.
“The ball stops bouncing eventually,” Beckham said. “So I want to be able to get a job and be well-educated.”
Hopefully for the Bulldogs, that ball does not stop bouncing for a very long time.