IRVINE, Calif. - The 2017-18 UC Irvine women's basketball team will feature 10 newcomers with five true freshmen and five returning redshirts suiting up in an Anteater uniform for the first time. Fans can get to know each of these student-athletes through our Meet the Newcomers series, which wraps up this week with freshman guard Alexus Seaton.



#15 ALEXUS SEATON
Year: Freshman
Position: Guard
Height: 5-10
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas (Arlington Heights HS)
Major: Undeclared

1. It's a Family Thing
Alexus grew up with the game of basketball. Her mom played in high school and her older brother, Ronnie Moss Jr., played at the collegiate and professional level. She always looked up to Ronnie so when she watched him play with his AAU team at a young age, naturally, she wanted to follow in his footsteps. 
 
"I saw him playing basketball and went to all of his games, so he really inspired me to play," Seaton said. "My mom then put me on a team when I was five years old. I started off with the Lady Ravens and they were a little more advanced, but my coach worked with me the whole year and by the end there was a lot of improvement so I knew I wanted to keep going."
 
Alexus continued to improve her game with the help of her brother, who played three years at TCU. With the Horned Frogs, Ronnie was an All-Mountain West selection and became the fifth player in program history with at least 1,000 points and 300 assists in his career. He then made his way to Texas Wesleyan for his senior campaign and graduated in 2012, before heading overseas to play professionally. Although he had a busy and successful career, Ronnie still made time for his little sister.
 
"My brother took the time to work with me, so I really appreciate that," Seaton added.
 
 
2. From the Sideline to the Court
With her family background, Alexus was destined to play basketball, but she was actually a cheerleader before she found her home on the court. 
 
"I cheered from when I was four to 10 years old," Seaton said. "My granddad had a football organization, TCU Youth Football, so I cheered for those teams."
 
Once she started to take basketball to the next level, cheerleading had to take a back seat.
 
"I missed it a little bit, but basketball is a tough sport and requires a lot of commitment so I had to focus on one thing at a time," Seaton said.
 
 
3. The Transition
Alexus was a four-year starter at Arlington Heights High School where she earned first-team all-league honors each season. She was also named the District 7-5A MVP as a junior, and was twice selected as the Offensive MVP. With all of her accolades, it was no surprise she received a lot of interest during the recruiting process, but with UCI's coaching staff, location and academics, it was an easy decision for Alexus.
 
"I chose UC Irvine because of the great coaches," Seaton said. "There was already a relationship there, so once I came on my visit I knew that it fit me and this is where I wanted to be. And, the school is great educational-wise."
 
Alexus, along with the other freshmen, got to campus in August when they started taking classes and working out with the team during the second summer session, and she was quick to see the difference in the level and pace of play.
 
"It's much faster than high school," Seaton said. "In high school we played a little slower, and with these workouts it's been at a non-stop fast pace, so it took a little bit of adjusting. The coaches told me it was going to be tough, but now I've already seen a major improvement with my speed on the court. I just love it here, and I'm really looking forward to going out there, giving it all I've got and winning conference."
 
 
MORE ABOUT ALEXUS…
Favorite dance move
I like the Nae Nae.
 
If you weren't playing basketball, what would you be doing?
I would be playing another sport because I love sports so much. I'd probably either be running track or playing softball.
 
Why did you choose #15?
Well, I usually wear #5, but someone already had that number, so 15 was the other option. My brother wore #5 since he was little and I always wanted to be just like him, so I picked five too. It just runs in the family, but 15 is cool because it has a five in it, so I'm totally fine with that.
 
Favorite sports team
Golden State Warriors
 
What are your hobbies off the court?
I like hanging out with my friends and playing video games. I also love to read. I'm into Shakespeare-type stuff; I love all of that. When I was younger, my granddad and grandma started me off with reading, so by the time I got to Pre-K I was reading pretty high-level books.


MEET THE NEWCOMERS SERIES
Autumn Baumgartner
Dani Guglielmo
Deijah Blanks
Haleigh Talbert
Yazzy Sa'Dullah
Tahlia Garza
Morgan Green
Jordan Sanders
Lauren Saiki