Josh Amick is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover McClintock High for AZPreps365.com

As the Arizona heat radiates off the driveway, you’re trying everything you can to get some more practice in before the sun sets. The sweat is stinging in your eyes and the cuts and bruises on your arm reflect that the competition isn’t easing up on you, just because you are a girl.

Aiyanna Perkins, a sophomore guard for the McClintock Chargers, finished this season third in state for scoring, at 23.6 points per game. Those long days in the driveway playing against her four brothers, Maurice, Tyreese, Deonte and Kamal, led to her breakout season as one of the state’s top guards.

“Not only did Aiyanna grow up with four brothers, all of her cousins on her dad’s side are all boys as well,” said Shaurice Enyart, Perkins’ mother. “They would be outside playing football or basketball and Aiyanna would always be the only girl.”

Perkins has always played above her level. She was playing on the third-through-fourth grade team as a second grader, on the fifth-through-eighth grade team as a fourth grader and in fifth grade she played on an all-boys team, once again being the only girl.

“For club ball, she only played on the boys side,” Enyart said. “She would be the only girl in fifth grade playing against 13- and 14-year old boys.”

The eighth grade OMUWAMU boys basketball team that Perkins played on as the only girl in fifth grade. (Photo Courtesy of Shaurice Enyart)

“And she dominated the boys too!” said Maurice Perkins, Aiyanna’s father. “You can ask any of the boys basketball players who Aiyanna is, and they all know.”

Perkins' reputation is starting to get her noticed throughout the state, even though she didn’t start playing for the school girls team until seventh grade. She had two unofficial visits to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of California-Berkeley, both Division I schools. 

“I want basketball to take me as far as it can,” Perkins said. “I want the game to be able to pay my way through college and hopefully take me to the WNBA after. But I also have an interest in becoming a dentist.” 

You won’t find Perkins smiling through pregame warm-ups as she is focused on game days. In McClintock’s second playoff game, Perkins scored a career-high 42 points en route to a win against Canyon View. 

“I knew they were gonna make me the focus of their defense and my mentality was anywhere I can score, I am going to,” Perkins said. “I just remember the pregame music had me feeling loose and I was locked in.” 

One particular song that stood out to Perkins was "Family Business" by Kanye West.

“Culture and building a family really brought the team together this year,” Perkins said. “It has been one of the major reasons why our team was so successful.” 

“We just teach everyone to have each other's back,” McClintock coach Sydnie Lengyel said. “And even though Aiyanna is a sophomore, she is one of the leaders of this team and shows way more maturity for her age.”

McClintock finished eighth in state and also ran off a school-record 16-game winning streak. Perkins should start getting more recognition and offers from colleges as a junior, but personal accolades are not her primary concern.

“I want us to win our region,” Perkins said. “I want to continue to grow as a leader and help all the people around me. Helping the people around me will eventually lead to improving myself.”