By Amanda Scurlock for Los Angeles Sentinel
Originally published Feb. 4, 2026
Centennial junior Ayana Graham is the team captain of the Apaches girls’ basketball team. During the 2025-2026 season, she averaged 15.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Graham initially was not interested in the sport until her coach recognized her talents in basketball.
“I started to see myself, what he was talking about,” she said. “It made me think I really do love basketball.”
Graham used to play football but began to concentrate more on basketball during her high school years.
During her sophomore season, Graham learned about the importance of having confidence from her teammates. Graham then realized that she was holding herself back.
“I was a little scared, I was a little antsy,” she said. “That’s why this year I’m more open to more things … last year, I was not going to the paint. Now, that’s all I’m doing.”
The Apaches had an 8-16 overall record this season. Playing in tournaments at the start of the season helped the team bond.
“We were starting to have a little bit of more team chemistry,” Graham said. “We’ve been trying to play as a team and we haven’t let anything that has been going on with the games affect us.”
A challenging moment for Graham was when she had an opponent who enjoyed trash talking to her. Graham had to learn to adapt.
“I didn’t know how to take it,” Graham said. “I tried to go up against it and I realized that … it was an obstacle that I can take.”
For Graham, being a student athlete can come with obstacles.
“I try to manage both,” she said. “I do think that it’s very stressful, so it’s a lot, like heavy.”
Graham enjoys taking the audio production class offered at Centennial. She aspires to be a rapper. Graham enjoys talking and likes putting together words in a way that sounds good.
She noted how listening to Centennial alum and Grammy Award-winning artist Kendrick Lamar has helped her with her rapping skills.
“I’ve been making music since I was 12,” Graham said. “That was also a passion besides football, before basketball.”
Graham aspires to attend the college that she wants to go to.
“All I’ve been thinking about right now is college,” she said. “I’m trying to get ready for college.”
