By Amanda Scurlock for The LA Sentinel
Originally published Sept. 16, 2026
Washington Prep senior Naomi Walls was a key player on the girls’ basketball team during the 2025-2026 season. Her 29.2 points per game was the ninth-best scoring average in California last season. Walls also averaged 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 7.6 steals per game.
Walls helped the Generals to a 14-3 overall record and a 10-2 Coliseum League record. In their CIF City Section Division III championship win against Gardena, Walls led in scoring with 27 points.
“We’ve been the underdog the whole season and I feel like that motivated us to win,” Walls said. “We’re not like all these top teams but we have the heart to compete.”
In January, Walls scored a season-high of 46 points and 11 steals in a 75-52 win over Crenshaw. On two occasions, she earned 14 rebounds.
Walls played on several AAU teams throughout her childhood. She competed in several states, including Arizona, Nevada, Illinois and Oregon.
“I got to see a lot of different styles, East Coast, West Coast,” she said. “There’s different styles in the aggressiveness just pushes me every time I play new competition.”
From the ages 8 to 14, Walls played on a boys’ basketball team. A challenging moment was transitioning to competing against girls.
“With boys, I’m used to all the aggressiveness,” she said. “When it came to girls, I was fouling out of control. But after a while, I started getting used to it and started getting the feel of the game.”
For Walls, to be a student athlete means to put the same level of hard work into studying and practicing.
“You’re not going to get a 100% scholarship off sports, you will have to have the academics to show for it,” Walls said. “My mom and dad always tell me basketball isn’t the end-all, be-all.”
Walls enjoys her English class because of the efforts of her teacher. The class helped Walls with her essay writing and vocabulary.
“She helps me understand because English isn’t really my best subject,” Walls said about her teacher. “Being in her class really taught me what I need to do to write essays, to get my grammar right, how to properly talk to people.”
Outside of academics and athletics, Walls volunteers to help her aunt with her business. Her experience volunteering helped Walls with her communication skills.
“If she is hosting a party for somebody, I’ll help her set up,” Walls said. “It can be so stressful, but the end result is good.”
Walls wants to graduate from college with a degree in psychology. She aspires to be a social worker or therapist.