Liam McNeeley is set to enter the 2025 NBA Draft following a breakout season with the UConn Huskies, where he earned Big East Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 14.5 points across the season, and is projected to go in the first round.
Preparing for the 2025 NBA Draft, as a fourth-generation NCAA Division 1 Basketball player, nobody had more impact on McNeeley’s career than his family, and also his sister, Ava McNeeley, as he looks to make the next significant step in his career.
‘Carry On Our Legacy’: All About the NBA Draft Prospect Liam McNeeley’s Siblings and Family
Born in Richardson, Texas, to Ashley and Matthew McNeeley, Liam started his high school career at J.J. Pearce High School and John Paul II High School before transferring to a high-profile team, Montverde Academy, for his final two years.
Coming from a family of Basketball players, as a fourth-generation NCAA Division-I Basketball player, the sport is not the only thing that the McNeeley family thrives in, with Liam’s sister, Ava McNeeley, graduating from the University of Texas
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In a post on her Instagram back in May, Ava was pictured wearing “TEXAS” graduation attire outside of the UT Tower. She spent four years at the university, where she studied Psychology, and was congratulated by her NBA-bound brother following the achievement.
Both Liam and Ava were raised by their mother, Ashley, as a single parent. According to reports, Ashley played Division I basketball at Rice University and is now an entrepreneur and the owner of Minerva Consulting, an integrated Marketing, PR, and Production agency.
“He wants to make winning plays and be a great teammate. He has a million different ways to score, and when you absolutely need a rebound and the game is on the line, he will come down with it,” McNeeley’s mother explained to Draft Digest.
Ashley’s brother, Chad Elsey, was also a two-time all-state player in high school before continuing his playing career at SMU and Baylor.
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With his mother and uncle playing NCAA D1 Basketball, the McNeeley family legacy in Basketball goes all the way back to Liam’s great-grandfather, Gordon Elsey, who played at the University of Tulsa; however, his career was cut short due to being drafted by the army.
McNeeley’s grandfather, Chuck Elsey, also had a somewhat successful career; however, his NCAA career was cut short following an ACL injury, playing a single season with TCU with a reconstructed ACL, before deciding to retire.
“It’s a great accomplishment to play in college, and I will be the fourth generation to do so. I am working hard to be the best player I can be, to make it to the NBA and carry on our legacy,” McNeeley explained, as he looks to take his family’s legacy one step further.
Now, ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, after learning from generations of Basketball players before him, Liam McNeeley is finally set to take his family’s legacy to the next step, becoming the first-ever McNeeley to play in the NBA, achieving a lifelong dream
