Houston girl who attended Kobe's Mamba Cup tourney goes from sheer joy to grief in 24 hours Text to mom: 'Kobe is dead. We are all praying. Can't talk.'

"After game one, how awesome is this? Hoop dreams coming true and it’s just the beginning!" "Aniah said he was just like anyone else, so inspiring when he spoke to them, told them they had a great team and he was pulling for them to win it all," said Mykayla Alewine, mother of 13-year-old Aniah Alewine. less "After game one, how awesome is this? Hoop dreams coming true and it’s just the beginning!" "Aniah said he was just like anyone else, so inspiring when he spoke to them, told them they had a great team and ... more Photo: Mykayla Alewine/Facebook Photo: Mykayla Alewine/Facebook Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Houston girl who attended Kobe's Mamba Cup tourney goes from sheer joy to grief in 24 hours 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

Being picked to play in Kobe Bryant's Mamba Cup in Southern California this weekend was a dream come true for 13-year-old Aniah Alewine.

She is fairly new to the Cy-Fair Nike Coop 2024 team for 8th grade girls. "This is a huge tournament with a lot of great players," said her mother, Mykayla Alewine, a coach at Waller High School. "However, she is moving up fast and making it known that she is up for the challenge!" her mother proudly posted on her Facebook page.

This was Aniah's first trip without her mother. Teammate Justice Carlton was also on the trip.

There was already excitement in the air as their first matchup was against Team Mamba, the tourney's host featuring Kobe Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gigi. Aniah, like most of the other girls, were already fans of the superstar-in-the-making.

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Game 1 lived up to the hype, with Cy-Fair winning big over Kobe Bryant and his team Mamba, 46-29. And she got to meet Gigi up close and personal: "Aniah went man to man with her!" posted proud Mom watching from home.

The girls were definitely riding high, winning all three of their first games in the tournament. But the crowning moment came when they cornered Kobe for a team photo.

"Aniah said he was just like anyone else, so inspiring when he spoke to them, told them they had a great team and he was pulling for them to win it all," the gushing teen told her mother.

The team showed up at the gym on Sunday morning, expecting the magic to continue. But suddenly, the world seemed to come to a stop. The news came about the helicopter accident. Eventually word spread that Kobe and Gigi were among the nine people onboard. There were no survivors.

"People started crying and dropped to their knees. They formed a prayer circle," said Mykala Alewine.

A friend called her with the news. She immediately texted to check on her daughter. "Kobe is dead. We are all praying. Can't talk," her daughter replied somberly.

In less than 24 hours, her 13-year-old daughter had gone from one of the best moments in her life to one of the worst. "Losing Gigi affected her as much Kobe," said Mom.

For now, Aniah and the others are dealing with the grief as teens do. But on Thursday, it's back to the basketball court.

"This experience will forever change her, she will keep the memories close, a lot to take in for a 13 year old. We will move forward with the Mamba Mentality in all aspects of life and she as well as the other girls, will be better because of it," said Mykala Alewine.

Danny Hermosillo is the Digital News Editor for Chron.com | Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @Dannyherm1| Email him at Danny.Hermosillo@chron.com