Ayanna-Sarai Darrington

Photo by: Lauren Verellen

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Madison Davidson '25 - @_mld.jpeg

Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Madison Davidson '25 - @_mld.jpeg

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Madison Davidson '25 - @_mld.jpeg

Position:
Forward
Height:
6-2
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Lexington, Ky.
High School:
Frederick Douglass

Overview: All-MAC (2026: second team; 2025: freshman) … CMU career record for field goal percentage (56.6) … CMU freshman record for season field goal percentage (56.5) … twice tied for sixth all-time at CMU with 21 rebounds in a single game, once as a sophomore, once as a freshman … seventh (2025-26; 56.7) and eighth (2024-25; 56.5) in program history in season field goal percentage … program’s first 20-20 game since 2/20/19 with 27 points, 21 rebounds against Ohio (12/31/25) … has appeared in 57 games, 42 starts in the Maroon & Gold

2025-26: All-MAC Second Team … MAC Player of the Week (3/3/26) … played 28 games, 26 starts … CMU’s first 20-20 game (12/31/25 vs. Ohio: 27p, 21r) since 2/20/19 (Reyna Frost), career-high points, tied career-high rebounds … 21 rebounds against Ohio tied for sixth all-time at CMU, only 20-rebound game in the MAC this season … led MAC shooting 56.7 percent from the floor, seventh all-time at CMU … led MAC in off. rebounding (3.57 per game) … other MAC rankings: seventh in scoring (14.86 per game) … seventh in double-doubles (7) … eighth in rebounding (7.25 per game) … eighth with seven 10-plus rebound games, six in MAC play … tied for seventh with seven 20-plus point games, six in MAC play

2024-25: Played in 29 games with 16 starts … collected 21 rebounds against Ball State (2/26/25), most by a freshman in NCAA I and most by any MAC player this season … seventh at CMU all-time, second in the MAC this season, shooting 56.5 percent from the field … 12^th in NCAA I, led the MAC, with 4.20 offensive rebounds per game … t-3^rd in the MAC with a nine-for-nine game from the field at Toledo (3/1/25), setting season-high of 23 points … sixth in the MAC with 7.3 rebounds per game, second on team … sixth in the MAC with seven double-doubles … scored in double-digits 17 times, double-digit rebounds eight times … led CMU in scoring in four games, rebounding in nine games … started 15 of CMU’s final 17 games of the season … made collegiate debut in season-opener against Coastal Carolina (11/4/25) … made first collegiate start against Oakland (11/24/24)

High School: Graduated from 2023 Region 11 Champion Frederick Douglass High School … Kentucky Miss Basketball Finalist (2024) … Region 11 Player of the Year, all-region first team (2024) … Lexington Herald-Leader City Player of the Year (2024), two-time All-City First Team (2024, 2023) … KHSAA All-State Third Team (2024) … exploded for 27 points, 29 rebounds (t-7^th in Kentucky history) in 2023 Region 11 Championship game … finished career with over 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds … two-time Kentucky All-Star selection (2024, 2023) … posted 14 double-doubles as a junior … also competed in volleyball and track & field.

Club: Lady Magic AAU of Lexington … won 17U GBA State Championship (2023)

Personal: Daughter of Binia Chernise Garr and Charlie Darrington ... has two older brothers, Charles and Richard ... enjoys drawing, reading, watching sci-fi and dystopian movies, and playing The Sims ... naturally left-handed, competed as right-hand dominant growing up because it, "was easier to learn because everyone is right-handed." ... chews to gum during games to, "keep me from moving too fast."

Story Time: "My parents, mom mostly, made me and my brothers do book reports and mind puzzle books growing up when school wasn’t in session for critical thinking purposes, due every Friday. My mother also kept us busy when we younger so I’ve done many things like learn the piano, ballet, cheer, soccer, swim, t-ball, step-team, volleyball, track, and basketball."

Athletics Pedigree: Father, Charlie, was the 233rd pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, selected as a tight end by the Washington Redskins after graduating from Kentucky, also played for the Cleveland Browns ... has had four cousins compete in college athletics: Ronnie Gordon, Vanderbilt Football; Marquis Estill, Kentucky Basketball; Willie Lawson, Albany State (GA) Football; Jordan Lawson, Kentucky Christian Football

"Why CMU?": "I loved the coaches' personality and energy. They made the idea of coming to CMU very exciting, along with the team being very welcoming; the girls were like a family and I wanted to be apart of that."