by Growing up, playing college basketball had been a dream for Kirkman. On the morning of her final home game, she said she has spent thanking God for allowing her the opportunity to do so for so long.
Recently joining the 1,000 point club this season, Amayah Kirkman currently sits at 16th all-time in scoring at Azusa Pacific, with 1,300 career points.
Averaging just 1.5 points as a freshman while fighting for any minutes she could get on a competitive team, she now averages 15.7 points and has averaged 30+ minutes per game over the last two seasons. Additionally, the 5’8 guard has stepped into a starting role over the last two seasons, representative of her growth in this program.
“I knew I had the work ethic,” said Kirkman. “I was shooting every day, watching film, asking questions, and trying to learn from all the better players before me. Then as the years went on, all the hard work starts to pay off and now I’m here because of the people that have helped me get there. And for that I can really say I’m proud of all that and the player I am now.”
While playing alongside Heimburger for the last five seasons, Kirkman has been challenged to step up as a key contributor alongside her. As one of the top-ten leaders in scoring in the PacWest, she has put together six games with 20+ points, including a career-high 33 points vs. Westmont. That night, she shot 11-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-6 from the three.
“One of the things we like to see happen is when players grow,” said Hardeman earlier this season. “She came in and learned from people like Alex Lowden, Paige Uyehara and now she’s that leader so it’s neat to see the whole team look up to her. She has stepped into that role, embraced it and just does a great job at getting everyone to contribute their best.”
Kirkman has established herself as one of the best shooters in the conference and is among star-studded company in the Azusa Pacific record books. With 205 made threes over the last five seasons, she lands at fourth all-time. Last season, she led the PacWest with 73 triples en route to her first All-PacWest recognition.
Interestingly enough, she has scored a career-high five three-pointers against Biola every season for the last three years, including a game-winning triple in 2023 with five seconds to go. She also had five three-pointers against Chaminade as a sophomore.
This season, however, she worked with her coaches to become more dynamic as a player and contribute in more ways than just her shooting. For the last two seasons, she has averaged six or more rebounds a game and also is second on the team in assists and steals (both behind Audrey Sayoc), crediting her assistant coaches Dan Ploog and Chris Brand for their help in making her a more well-rounded player.
This mindset of constantly looking to learn and grow is something Kirkman has had since her freshman year as Coach Hardeman recalled several times that the young guard would come into his office with a notepad and pen, eager to look for ways to improve her game. And that work has paid off as she has not only become a key piece to this team’s success but also in one whose hard work is now forever etched in the school record books.
