Ayako

Ayako is the manager of the team and object of Ryota's affections. Strong-willed, somewhat tomboyish and good-natured, at first Ayako does not seem to reciprocate Ryota's feelings for her, which she knows of, and will not until the end of the series. She is directly responsible for sharpening Hanamichi's abilities for real matches, by training him in the basics, such as ball possession and dribbling. Her disciplinary style is midway between Akagi and Anzai - while not as soft as the latter, she is also not as hard as the former. Her last name is unknown. Curiously, Hanamichi treats her almost as respectfully as Anzai, even though she is in a lower position in the team; possibly because of her gender, since he is generally more respectful towards females. Ryota refers to her as "Aya-chan" because of his attraction to her, and she responds by calling him "Ryota" rather than by his surname.