Ayako manages the team and is the object of Ryota's unrequited crush—at least until the series wraps up. She's strong-willed and has a tomboyish charm that makes her genuinely likable, even if she's not interested in Ryota's advances. She knows how he feels, but it takes until the end for her to reciprocate.
Best known for whipping Hanamichi into shape, Ayako drills him on fundamentals like ball control and dribbling, turning raw talent into something usable in real games. Her coaching style lands somewhere between Akagi's iron fist and Anzai's gentler touch—strict enough to get results without being unnecessarily harsh.
Interestingly, Hanamichi treats her with almost as much respect as he shows Anzai, despite her being lower in the team hierarchy. Fans often note this probably has something to do with her being a woman; Hanamichi's generally more courteous around females anyway. Ryota calls her "Aya-chan" because of his crush, and notably, she lets him get away with it—she calls him by his first name too, which is a familiarity she doesn't extend to others on the team.
Her last name is never revealed.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
