Queen Media Collective

Basketball prodigy Sosa Taeko Cruz was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 10, 2014. She is the fourth born of five children and in her spare time she enjoys gymnastics, watching Spongebob Squarepants and playing with her Shopkins. Her first love, however, is basketball.

Sosa attended her 1st high school basketball game at nine months old. She has been in the gym since the age of four, but when Sosa turned five, her father decided that it was time to take her training to the next level. 

Sosa’s father reached out to the head coach of the Decatur Blazers basketball program. After the coach watched videos of Sosa training and saw all the work she was putting in via Instagram, the rest was history. He welcomed her into the team with open arms, making her the 1st female player in the history of the organization. After the 1st day of practice, Sosa became the team captain and starting point guard for the Decatur Blazers 6U boys team. This past fall she also played in the i9 league for the Rockets, won the championship and earned MVP honors for her team.

Although Sosa is the best on the team skill wise, her biggest obstacle would be the physical aspect. Almost every time she gets the ball, she endures being knocked down and fouled by one of the boys. Another obstacle is most of the players not being fundamentally sound. For games with players between the ages of 5-6, most referees don’t make many calls. Therefore, most kids just pick the ball up, run and shoot which is a disadvantage to Sosa who was trained to play the game correctly. 

The one thing Sosa hates more than anything in the world is losing. When she plays a bad game or looses a game, she goes back in the gym and puts in extra hard work. She lives by the motto “hard work is undefeated” and she understands that when you give your absolute all you are always a winner. Sosa considers Gigi and Kobe Bryant her good luck charms, because their legacies give her the motivation and drive she needs to step her game up. Like Gigi, Sosa wears the number 2.

One reason Sosa was able to become such an amazing athlete at such a young age is the fact that she has a remarkable support system. Her entire family loves to watch her play and family members have even traveled from different states to attend her games. Earlier this year, Sosa had a crowd of 15 people at one game. One of her biggest supporters is her baby sister Skye who attends all her practices and games, cheering and encouraging her to do better.

People that know Sosa describe her as a phenomenal girl who is always happy and smiling. She is an energetic and loving person who wants everyone to be happy and have fun. A fun fact about Sosa is that everyday at least ten times a day, she tells her father she loves him.

Sosa’s goals include playing college basketball for Oregon, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Baylor. She also desires to earn the biggest Nike women’s contract and play in the WNBA. 

To stay in touch with Sosa’s basketball journey, make sure you follow her on Instagram at @sosa_cruz_!