Najuna Kiggundu is a Berkeley High School senior who fell in love with basketball in second grade. “My mom signed me up for classes at the YMCA, it was a group of all girls, and it really made me feel a sense of community,” she said. Kiggundu loves how basketball relieves stress and keeps her active, stating it has to be done as a team. “(Basketball) is a team sport. There’s no yelling, no arguing. We all have our own way that we contribute to the team,” she said. To prepare for games, she likes to walk to clear her head. “I tend to get anxious before games. So I usually go for a walk, while listening to music,” she said. Kiggundu feels melancholy about playing her last season, stating, “I think it’s bittersweet. The basketball season is very demanding. But I won’t play basketball every single winter anymore.” Although she has loved playing basketball, she is reluctant to part with her teammates. “I just really appreciate my teammates for these past four years, and thanking them for standing by me and just being the best teammates that (a) girl could have asked for,” Kiggundu said.
Athlete profile: Najuna Kiggundu
By Oscar Balasubramanian,
February 27th, 2026