In addition to the mask, Aaliyah is recognizable by her unique hair, too. She keeps her locks in braids, colored purple and yellow. The defining colors are a sweet tribute to one of her idols.

Aaliyah "wears purple and yellow braids to pay homage to the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant," according to her UConn profile. The nod to the late basketball player comes after his 2020 death.

Kobe died unexpectedly and rocked the entire sports world. Both himself and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash in California.

His impact on basketball remains undeniable as he became a staple teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers. He had immense talent and debuted as the second-youngest player in NBA history. Many young athletes took inspiration from him as they paved their own paths in athletics, including Aaliyah.

The WNBA star explained to ESPN that she would "watch Kobe film" to relax. She said, "We'd do stuff that would take my mind off basketball, a reward for putting in the work, [so it's not] 24/8 — sorry, 24/7. Got 24 and 8 in my head."