SE: K-State WBB Looks to Make the Most of WNIT Opportunity
Mar 15, 2018 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
K-State's women's basketball team watched the NCAA Tournament Selection Show together on Monday night. The Wildcats watched 64 teams announced, knowing beforehand they would not be one of them. And then the real wait began.
"We were a little unsure there if we were getting into the postseason or not and I think everyone was starting to get a little anxious," junior guard Kayla Goth said. "Everyone just wanted to know if we were going to get a chance to play or not."
Relief in the form of a Postseason WNIT invitation arrived about 30 minutes after the NCAA Tournament Selection Show ended. K-State's coaching staff text the players the good news, but the speed of social media had beat them to it.
"Most of us saw it on Twitter before Coach (Jeff) Mittie got his text out," Goth said. "So everyone was messaging in the GroupMe and (saying), 'Oh my God! We made it!' Everyone was pretty excited.
"I think as a young team it's a really good opportunity to capitalize on and maybe get one or two or five wins, hopefully. We'll see."
K-State (16-15) opens the WNIT against Saint Louis (17-15) at Bramlage Coliseum on Thursday at 7 p.m. Saint Louis, making its third consecutive WNIT appearance, is led by two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Jackie Kemph. Mittie likened the 5-foot-7 senior guard, averaging 15.8 points and 7.1 assists, to a former Wildcat guard in Kindred Wesemann.
"She's just the heart and soul of their team," Mittie said, as Saint Louis enters the first round game averaging 72.2 points a game. "She's a really good player. They've got others who shoot the ball well. They're exactly what has given us fits at times, a team that'll spread you and a team that shoots it well."
The Wildcats' fourth-straight postseason appearance was made possible by a strong finish. Knowing they needed at least a .500 overall record for a chance to make the WNIT, the Wildcats won three of their last four games down the stretch, with its only loss to No. 3 Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship.
"We definitely talked about it in our last little section of games, that we needed to win. We had to get our last two wins of the season and we came in, took care of business, did what we needed to and got the wins," senior Shaelyn Martin said. "I think down the stretch everyone had their focus locked in on what we needed to do."
Mittie said when the team was presented with the challenge to finish the season strong to create this possibility, the veterans took it head on, Goth especially.
"Kayla Goth was adamant that she wasn't going to be the player that didn't play in the postseason at Kansas State. She wasn't going to be, and that was when we needed to win," Mittie said of his All-Big 12 Second Team point guard, who averaged 17.0 points and dished out a conference-best 6.8 assists per game. "She was adamant, that, 'Hey, not on my watch. We're going to do everything we can.' Obviously you like a leader to show that in the locker room for the rest of the team."
K-State's last WNIT appearance came in the 2014-15 season. Martin is the only current Wildcat who played on that team, which made an eight-win improvement from the previous season en route to making the WNIT.
What followed? Consecutive trips to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
"From my experience my freshman year, I think our freshmen will get that taste of what postseason's like and they'll be, 'Oh, if this is this much fun, I can't wait to get to the (NCAA) Tournament,'" Martin said. "I think it's a good stepping stone and I think our senior class is going to do a good job of leaving them with the things that they need to make it there next year."
With seven newcomers on this team's roster, only four Wildcats — Peyton Williams, Kaylee Page, Martin and Goth — have played in the postseason before. Thursday offers the rest of the Wildcats a first of what they hope is many more games in March.
"Being so young, getting into a postseason is definitely an opportunity in itself, just to get to play more games and get more experience," Goth said. "Getting into the postseason kind of shows the tenacity and the perseverance needed to get through this grind of a season. It can be a great springboard for us."
"It's something we've been trying to tell them: It's a one-and-done thing now," Martin added of the underclassmen. "You have to do everything possible to get to that next game. By the end, you're really going to be feeling (fatigue) worse than you did during the season, but you have to sacrifice everything, put everything out on the line, especially for us seniors. At one point it is going to be our last game. I think they're committed to it. They might have some jitters going into postseason but that's to be expected. I think collectively we've got the right mindset.
"I'm just really proud of our team and I look forward to seeing how far we can go."
Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Saint Louis are available now, by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS, visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets or by stopping by the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets are priced at $15 for chair backs, $10 for adult general admission and $5 for youth and senior citizens. All K-State students will receive free entry by showing a valid K-State ID at the door.
K-State's women's basketball team watched the NCAA Tournament Selection Show together on Monday night. The Wildcats watched 64 teams announced, knowing beforehand they would not be one of them. And then the real wait began.
"We were a little unsure there if we were getting into the postseason or not and I think everyone was starting to get a little anxious," junior guard Kayla Goth said. "Everyone just wanted to know if we were going to get a chance to play or not."
Relief in the form of a Postseason WNIT invitation arrived about 30 minutes after the NCAA Tournament Selection Show ended. K-State's coaching staff text the players the good news, but the speed of social media had beat them to it.
"Most of us saw it on Twitter before Coach (Jeff) Mittie got his text out," Goth said. "So everyone was messaging in the GroupMe and (saying), 'Oh my God! We made it!' Everyone was pretty excited.
"I think as a young team it's a really good opportunity to capitalize on and maybe get one or two or five wins, hopefully. We'll see."
K-State (16-15) opens the WNIT against Saint Louis (17-15) at Bramlage Coliseum on Thursday at 7 p.m. Saint Louis, making its third consecutive WNIT appearance, is led by two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Jackie Kemph. Mittie likened the 5-foot-7 senior guard, averaging 15.8 points and 7.1 assists, to a former Wildcat guard in Kindred Wesemann.
"She's just the heart and soul of their team," Mittie said, as Saint Louis enters the first round game averaging 72.2 points a game. "She's a really good player. They've got others who shoot the ball well. They're exactly what has given us fits at times, a team that'll spread you and a team that shoots it well."
The Wildcats' fourth-straight postseason appearance was made possible by a strong finish. Knowing they needed at least a .500 overall record for a chance to make the WNIT, the Wildcats won three of their last four games down the stretch, with its only loss to No. 3 Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship.
"We definitely talked about it in our last little section of games, that we needed to win. We had to get our last two wins of the season and we came in, took care of business, did what we needed to and got the wins," senior Shaelyn Martin said. "I think down the stretch everyone had their focus locked in on what we needed to do."
Mittie said when the team was presented with the challenge to finish the season strong to create this possibility, the veterans took it head on, Goth especially.
"Kayla Goth was adamant that she wasn't going to be the player that didn't play in the postseason at Kansas State. She wasn't going to be, and that was when we needed to win," Mittie said of his All-Big 12 Second Team point guard, who averaged 17.0 points and dished out a conference-best 6.8 assists per game. "She was adamant, that, 'Hey, not on my watch. We're going to do everything we can.' Obviously you like a leader to show that in the locker room for the rest of the team."
K-State's last WNIT appearance came in the 2014-15 season. Martin is the only current Wildcat who played on that team, which made an eight-win improvement from the previous season en route to making the WNIT.
What followed? Consecutive trips to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
"From my experience my freshman year, I think our freshmen will get that taste of what postseason's like and they'll be, 'Oh, if this is this much fun, I can't wait to get to the (NCAA) Tournament,'" Martin said. "I think it's a good stepping stone and I think our senior class is going to do a good job of leaving them with the things that they need to make it there next year."
With seven newcomers on this team's roster, only four Wildcats — Peyton Williams, Kaylee Page, Martin and Goth — have played in the postseason before. Thursday offers the rest of the Wildcats a first of what they hope is many more games in March.
"Being so young, getting into a postseason is definitely an opportunity in itself, just to get to play more games and get more experience," Goth said. "Getting into the postseason kind of shows the tenacity and the perseverance needed to get through this grind of a season. It can be a great springboard for us."
"It's something we've been trying to tell them: It's a one-and-done thing now," Martin added of the underclassmen. "You have to do everything possible to get to that next game. By the end, you're really going to be feeling (fatigue) worse than you did during the season, but you have to sacrifice everything, put everything out on the line, especially for us seniors. At one point it is going to be our last game. I think they're committed to it. They might have some jitters going into postseason but that's to be expected. I think collectively we've got the right mindset.
"I'm just really proud of our team and I look forward to seeing how far we can go."
Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Saint Louis are available now, by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS, visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets or by stopping by the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets are priced at $15 for chair backs, $10 for adult general admission and $5 for youth and senior citizens. All K-State students will receive free entry by showing a valid K-State ID at the door.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballK-State Men's Basketball | Postgame Press Conference at Colorado
Thursday, February 26
K-State Rowing | Media Day
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Rowing | Weights Practice
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Tennis | Weekend Recap vs Old Dominion & Minnesota
Tuesday, February 24
