Amari Whiting, former Burley star and top national girls basketball recruit, 'super excited' to rejoin mom at BYU
Amari Whiting can finally relax.
The former Burley High School girls basketball player ended months of speculation by announcing Tuesday on social media that she had flipped her college commitment from Oregon to BYU.
The decision will reunite the reigning two-time Class 4A Idaho and Gatorade state player of the year with mother - recently-hired BYU women’s basketball coach Amber Whiting.
“Obviously, I’ve played for my mom for a while, but to be able to do it at the next level, is something I’ve always dreamed of," Amari said. “So I’m super excited.”
Amber, who also played for BYU, coached Amari in AAU for Natalie Williams Academy and most recently at Burley where the two posted a 61-17 record in three seasons, including winning a state title in the spring.
Under Amber, Amari also became one of the top recruits in the country. She currently sits at No. 31 in ESPN.com's 2023 class.
When Amber was hired May 18, most media and basketball pundits said it was inevitable that Amari would follow her mother to Provo - especially since BYU was already in her top-six list when she announced her commitment to Oregon last November.
Yet, Amari was adamant that nothing had changed with the status of her commitment following the news of her mom’s hire.
But when Amber had to relinquish her AAU coaching duties, Amari realized just how much she missed having her on the sidelines.
"I actually sat down and I thought about it and I just asked myself, 'What has been consistent and what has made me not ever lose the love for the game?,'" Amari said. "My mom’s always been by my side."
Most of Amari’s family also lives in Utah too. In fact, the teenager will finish her high school career at Timpview High School in Provo, which advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals last winter.
However, the decision to leave Oregon wasn’t as easy as a lot of people thought. Amari called it the "toughest" choice she’s ever had to make, which is why she put it off for so long. Her father Trent, a BYU basketball alum himself, actually had to sit her down to make a decision.
Half of Amari’s post was dedicated to the entire Oregon coaching staff, including assistant Mike Moser, whom she credited with turning her into a Boston Celtics' NBA fan.
"I quickly fell in love with the beauty of Eugene, the basketball culture they have there and most importantly the entire staff," Amari’s tweet read. " ... He (coach Kelly Graves) and Mary have built a basketball family in Eugene that forever has my heart."
It caps a whirlwind couple of months for Amari, who also had to deal with AAU basketball, living in hotels and moving all at the same time.
"It’s been so crazy," Amari said while laughing. "Which is why I’m just super grateful for AAU because I was really kind of able to get away from it all by focusing on my girls, winning, playing and just doing me."
But she won't forget where it all started.
"Burley meant the world to me," Amari said. "Burley has been such a good ride and such a good chapter of my life. I met so many new people and had so much fun there. I am super grateful that I was able to win a state championship this last year and end it on a good note."
