SE: Lee Recaps “Crazy” Sunday in Bramlage

By: D. Scott Fritchen

It's been a whirlwind past week for Kansas State junior center Ayoka Lee. From being featured on ESPN's SportsCenter to Good Morning America to the endless tweets of praise and admiration, the 6-foot-6 All-American candidate has turned heads across the country with her NCAA Division I women's basketball record 61 points — a feat that has landed her jersey and game ball in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Lee, a native of Byron, Minnesota, has been named USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week and HerHoopsStats Power 6 National Player of the Week for her record-setting efforts, and has been named a candidate for the 2022 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.

Lee leads the nation in total points (485), ranks second in scoring average (25.5) and leads the Big 12 Conference in field goal percentage (.597) and blocks (3.5), and is second in the league in rebounding (10.9).

Also one of the most humble women's basketball players in K-State women's basketball history, Lee spoke with national women's basketball writers about her record-setting feat, about life, and about her aspirations this week.

Here's a Q&A of her discussion with the national media:

It's been a couple of days now and it's been from SportsCenter to Good Morning America. What's it like to have all this attention? And between practices and interviews and class, have you had any time to relax through this?

It's been really great just to feel supported and loved from my family and friends. Really, I still have school and practice and everything else. It's just been kind of just balancing all that stuff. I'm very thankful for everyone helping me do it all. Just balancing school and basketball, it's just good to set aside time to have time to myself. There are times I haven't texted back for a couple hours because of that.

You made it look easy to score 61 points. How easy was it?

I really think it just came down to us executing well as a team. The guards did a great job of getting the ball inside and going with what works. We just took it one play at a time.

What was your career high for points in high school?

Fifty-one points, or something around that.

Was there a certain point where you realized that this was going to be on the table for you on Sunday?

I didn't have any idea what the record really was, so not really. I was like, "OK, it's a new career high for me." But I wasn't really thinking about the NCAA record until I came out of the game, and they announced it.

So you didn't know until Coach Mittie took you out of the game with a couple minutes left?

Yeah. No idea.

What was your favorite reaction from a friend or family member after the game?

Just celebrating with my teammates. My mom, I think she cried a little, but just celebrating with my teammates and my mom and the people who are close to me.

I know this is a long time before you were born, but Cindy Brown has been in the NCAA record books since 1987 and Rachel Banham since 2016. What does it mean to you when you think about being in the record books?

It's crazy. It's really crazy to think about. It's hard to wrap my mind around. I don't think it was ever like, "I'm going to play basketball so I can break all these national records." That was never a thought for me. It's just an honor and a blessing.

You are age wise old enough to go in this year's WNBA Draft and a lot of people think you could be a lottery pick but before the season you had indicated that you wanted to stay through your senior year. Has anything changed? Also, are there any WNBA players, centers, that you emulate?

I'm staying another year. I really love what I'm doing for school, and I want to finish my education and I love the program. That's the plan right now. Players that I watched, last summer I watched a lot of film on Liz Cambage and her game, and then just like Sylvia Fowles just because she is an amazing center. She's does it so well.

At some point do you see yourself expanding as far out as 3-point range. Fowles and Brittney Griner don't do that very much, Liz does, do you see that being a part of your game as you grow?

I think there's always areas to improve. It's definitely something to look at as we continue to develop.

What are your thoughts on your jersey and game ball going into the Naismith Hall of Fame. What does it mean to you that history will be cemented like that?

It's kind of crazy. A group of us got to go out there for a 3-on-3 tournament and it was so cool to see the history in that place and to see players who had some stuff in there and to think that my jersey is going to be in there is just crazy.

This little package is headed for the @Hoophall (h/t @MaryGorman7 for the photo). #KStateWBB pic.twitter.com/rCmJI0hcV1
— Randy Peterson (@RandyPeterson12) January 24, 2022

K-State announced a bunch of ticket packages around the number 61. Attendance has been really good, and the crowds have been awesome. How cool is that to see the success you guys have been having translate to support?

It's been really great. It's been awesome so far. I think it's exciting just to see hopefully how much it continues to grow.

You beat Brittney Griner's Big 12 scoring record as well. Did you watch her growing up?

I did not. I didn't watch a lot of basketball growing up.

What's the craziest or most fun thing that you've seen from all of the reactions from across the country?

That's a good question. There's been a lot of crazy tweets out there, just funny. My teammates love screen-shotting them and sending them to me. I can't think of just one. I honestly don't think I've seen everything. There's a lot out there.

Have you thought at all about what you can do as an encore here? I know 61 points is hard to follow.

I haven't really thought about it. I think a lot of where my mind has been at is just preparing for our next game. Just because the Big 12 isn't an easy conference, we can celebrate it, but we've got to get back to business.

You mentioned you love school and playing for Kansas State. What is it you love so much that you want to stay there as long as you can?

Just growing up my mom made a big emphasis that sports aren't going to last forever and you need to have something else because it can be taken from you at any moment. That's just kind of what I've found here with my school and the master's program I'm in. I just love it. It's definitely something I want to do after sports are done, whenever that is.

How do you know when you're on a roll?

That's a good question. I think as a team when we're all on the same page and defense is clicking and offense is clicking, and we know where we're getting the ball and communicating well.

How are you a different player than you were at Byron High School?

My turnaround shot has been a really big improvement. I've gotten better at reading where my defender is and making adjustments when I need to and just footwork has improved.

How have your teammates reacted to this? What's that been like?

They've been awesome, just great. They're great teammates. They've enjoyed it just as much as I have.

The Byron High School girls' basketball team is super proud of you and are super inspired by you. What's it mean that you're inspiring the next generation of basketball players?

It's an honor, really. Just getting to represent and being from Byron and that community and high school and program is really just an honor.

The record you broke had a Minnesota connection in topping Rachel Banham of the University of Minnesota. For you being another girl from Minnesota, what's it mean to have that connection with what you accomplished?

I think that's so cool. So many good girls' basketball players have come from Minnesota. To have that similarity has been awesome.

Breaking a NCAA record is a massive accomplishment. Have you had time to sit down and think that nobody in the NCAA has accomplished what I've accomplished?

It's so crazy to me that it's hard to wrap my mind around it. It's crazy. Yeah.

You are such a humble young woman and so focused on your team. Can you talk about this season and the way the team has come together so far?

The freshmen have been such a great addition to our team. Their mentality of wanting to come in and work hard every day has been really great. All the different personalities we have has made our culture so much better. Everyone loves coming in every day and loves working hard together. All of that stuff has been really great.

About 20 years ago, K-State was really on the map in women's basketball with stars like Nicole Ohlde, Kendra Wecker, Megan Mahoney and Laurie Koehn. All of the sudden everyone is talking about K-State. How's it feel that because of your efforts people are really taking note of K-State?

I think it's really exciting. When I just think about it, it just goes back to our fan support. We all love playing in Bramlage and even more so when it's packed with fans. It just makes me excited to continue playing in Bramlage and for that support to grow.

What is it like playing for Jeff Mittie?

It's good. He's a big players' coach. He definitely wants us to grow in our IQ and to take ownership of the game we're playing and how we're playing it, and to play it together.

When you think about K-State, what first comes to mind?

Probably family, which I feel like a lot of people would give that answer, but I really think everyone is for you here, and everyone wants to see you succeed, and everyone supports you.

What's the difference between this year and last year? K-State's record is quite good. What's been the biggest difference?

Our culture has been really great this year. Everyone is just excited to be here and are excited to play together and to work hard, and the freshmen were just a breath of fresh air for us, just their effort on the court, but their personalities and light-heartedness and their love of the game has been awesome.

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Ayoka Lee

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