One of the key athletes for the Richmond Hill Lady Wildcats basketball team returns this season for her senior year, and is already making a positive impact.

“Ariyana Canady, who is a senior, stepped up and was a leader for us this summer,” head girls’ basketball coach Sarah Jones said. “We had some players out for different reasons and she showed leadership with them out.”

Hearing that praise from her head coach is not lost on the senior, and Canady says that she is ready to prove herself this season.

“It means a lot to me, honestly,” said Canady. “Stepping up as a leader is a big responsibility, but I’m ready for the challenge. I want to support my teammates and help us all grow on and off the court.”

Canady has grown into a leadership role, but she does not plan to stop there with her growth on the court.

“One of my goals for this season is to definitely become more aggressive on defense,” Canady said. “I also want to work on handling the ball more.”

With the Lady Wildcats losing two seniors to the college level, Canady is still confident that the team will do well. 

“We did lose a lot of key people but I still feel as a whole we can get out there compete and stand a good chance against the teams on schedule,” “I believe in our team’s potential, and It’s a chance for new players to step up and for us to come together even stronger.”

Although it is her senior year, Canady has a bittersweet outlook on it all. 

“I’m sad that this is my final year of high school and basketball, but I’m excited to finish off strong and start a new chapter of my life,” Canady said. “At this moment after high school I don’t plan on continuing basketball at the collegiate level, but I do plan on attending North Carolina A&T to further my education as an engineering major.”