Harper Dunn loses latest appeal with NMAA

Harper Dunn has lost her latest appeal with the New Mexico Activities Association, the Dunn family told the Journal.

The NMAA Appeals Review Committee on Friday morning upheld the recent decision of the NMAA’s Hardship Review Committee, which had previously denied Dunn’s request to be allowed to play varsity basketball for Albuquerque Academy this season.

Dunn, the former Corona High standout and New Mexico’s most recruited player, transferred to Academy earlier this summer. But the NMAA, multiple times now, has stated she is not eligible to play varsity for the Chargers.

“Albuquerque Academy is not the school assigned to the attendance zone for Ms. Dunn’s current primary residence at her father’s home,” read a portion of an Aug. 21 letter, signed by NMAA Executive Director Dusty Young and addressed to Academy Athletic Director Taryn Bachis. Dunn’s father Blair lives in Valley’s district.

At the moment, Dunn, a junior, would be eligible to play only sub-varsity (JV) basketball at the Academy.

Dunn, who averaged more than 22 points and nearly 20 rebounds per game as a sophomore playing in 1A last season, is a nationally ranked girls basketball player. She’s rated as the 20th best prospect in the country by espnW in its Super 60 rankings for the Class of 2027.

As for what’s next, that is unknown. But this is far from over.

“They said they would come back within three days with a written decision,” said Blair Dunn on Friday. “We don’t have a comment until I see what they have in the letter.”

Dunn said he wants to know what the committee’s reasoning is, something he said they did not verbalize at Friday’s meeting. Going to court remains an option, but that has not yet been determined.

Harper Dunn, the 6-foot-6 center/forward who has nearly 30 Division I offers, did a good bit of the speaking on her own behalf at Friday’s meeting, Blair Dunn said.

Technically, it is Academy filing this appeal on behalf of the family. The hardship petition, which was submitted last month, was denied; Young wrote in that Aug. 21 letter that Dunn would be eligible to play varsity for the Chargers only if her former school, Corona, does not have a team itself this upcoming season.

Otherwise, Young’s letter stated, the NMAA does not consider Dunn’s situation as a hardship. Moreover, the NMAA wrote that Dunn could immediately play varsity basketball if attending Valley High.

Young on Friday declined to comment on any specifics of Dunn’s case, as he has done throughout, saying only that the organization does not discuss individual student eligibility.