It’s been 51 years since Title IX was implemented into law that allowed women to participate in athletics. Since Title IX, it has given every female athlete such as Aiseosa Woghiren the right to play and be a trailblazer in their sport. Aiseosa began playing ball in the first grade and admitted that she hated it at first. “I hated the running, sweat, the rules, etc,” Woghiren stated. By freshman year of high school, Aiseosa started to love the game and took it more seriously. “I fell in love with the hard work, the discipline, and just playing the game,” Aiseosa explains. The early morning commitments to being a better player and studying the game helped Woghiren secure a First-Team All-Region, and First-Team All-State selection helped lead Harrison High to a regional championship game along with runner-up in States and carried her talents to the collegiate level. 

Aiseosa began her collegiate career at Young Harris College. During her time at Young Harris College, Woghiren played 57 games, where she started 37, scored a season-high 23 points against Emmanuel in her freshman year, and scored a season-high 14 points three times in her sophomore year. Woghiren was named both Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week and PBC Women’s Basketball Team of Academic. After two years at Young Harris College, Aiseosa transferred to Kentucky State University where she would complete her collegiate career. Woghiren would begin the 2020-21 season at Kentucky State as she immediately impacted the team with a career-high 23 points against Bluefield State and a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards against Miles. After the 2020-21 season, Aiseosa would come back strong and return to play in the 2023-24 season after missing two seasons due to injuries. During the 2023-24 season, Woghiren recorded 2 double-double games with 11 points and 13 boards against Midway and 13 points and 10 rebounds against Trevecca Nazarene and secured the 2024 SIAC Western Division Regular Season Title.

The daily schedule for student-athletes is far from easy as they have to balance school and sports every day. The hard work they put in daily to fulfill their dreams and get the degree is truly inspiring. For Aiseosa, prioritizing is key to balancing the books and basketball. “Balancing sports and academics was hard at first in my freshman year in college,” Woghiren describes. “But, once I figured out how to prioritize the important things in my life and got organized, I managed it well, I would say!” With a major in Business Marketing, Aiseosa explains how she sees the degree applying to sports in many ways, especially with the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). “I use the knowledge acquired from my degree and apply it to how I negotiate and work with brands to this day,” Woghiren states. 

College women’s basketball continues to make history as this year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game between Iowa and South Carolina drew 18.89 million viewers. For Aiseosa, she sees women’s basketball continuing to grow in the near future. “I do see the sports increasing in the near future because of all of the new opportunities arising for the next generation,” Woghiren. “I barely touched the net back then, but I see girls now in high school dunking; but yes in both women’s and men’s sports, the sport is increasing through the new opportunities brought to them and adjusting their development now as an athlete.” With the opportunities through the NIL, Aiseoa also sees her playing ball at the professional level while continuing to be in the sport through her passion for social media marketing in sports. 

“Never stop having fun playing the sport you love!” That is Aiseoa's advice to those who want to take their talent to the next level. “When you get to college, it is common for many people to fall into that place when you just don’t like playing the sports anymore,” Woghiren states. Aiseosa also advises you to have fun and give yourself room to explore other things to do and develop different skills. “Just study the game, be willing to learn, and be humble,” Woghiren exclaims. 

Woghiren cites two of the most influential women in sports as her role models including Seattle Storm’s Skylar Diggins-Smith and tennis legend, Serena Williams as she explains how much they meant to her regarding the sports world. “Looking at them (both Skylar Diggins-Smith and Serena Williams) and what they have been through to where they are now, inspired me so much,” Aiseosa states. “From coming back from injuries and dealing with heavy adversity, especially as a black woman, they have taught me so much, especially when it comes to doing things you love.” Family means everything for Woghiren as she credits her parents as her inspiration in her everyday life. “They (her mom and dad) are the people I look up to every day and continuously pour into my cup as they teach me to never settle and keep my standards high,” Aiseosa exclaims. “The number of things I have learned from them, from discipline to just their unique creativity is unmatched. I can’t thank God enough for placing them into my life!”

Aiseosa Woghiren exemplifies what it means to be a warrior and love what you do. Woghiren’s story demonstrates that the passion for the game and the comeback is always stronger than the setback as she explains why it stands out. “I would say the passion I have for doing the things I love. In the past two years, I have dealt with injuries, and giving up was just not an option for me. I didn’t let the injuries stop me either as I flourished in other areas of my life from the NIL to my hair business.” Through discipline and the willingness to be humble through the recovery process, Aiseosa will always fight for what she loves to do as she is more than an athlete. “I own my own hair business and I am a creation on social media who is learning every day,” Woghiren states. “I have more layers to me than being an athlete.” 

To learn more about Aiseosa, be sure to follow her on Instagram: s.eosa