K-State’s Lee Named Finalist for 2022 Lisa Leslie Award
Mar 11, 2022 | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kansas – K-State junior center Ayoka Lee has been named one of five finalists for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in November, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February and now just five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committee.
The winner of the 2022 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on March 11 on hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award and the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, in addition to the Men's Starting Five. Additional information about the award presentation, including date and time, will be released in the coming weeks.
Joining Lee as a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award are: Aliyah Boston (South Carolina), Elissa Cunane (NC State), Tamari Key (Tennessee) and Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech).
In addition to being a Leslie Award finalist, Lee has been named a First Team All-American by The Athletic and Sports Illustrated this week. She is also a member of the 2022 Wooden Award national ballot. Lee is also a candidate for the 2022 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year and the 2021-22 Wade Trophy.
In the 2021-22 season, Lee leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth in the nation in scoring average (22.6 ppg), leads the Big 12 and is second in the nation in total points (679) and leads the nation in field goals made (279). Lee is the only player in the nation to average 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and 3 or more blocks.
Lee, a unanimous selection to the 2022 All-Big 12 First Team and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, owns a 2021-22 resume that includes an NCAA Division I record of 61 points scored against Oklahoma on January 23 and a Big 12-high eight games with 30 or more points.
A two-time United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week recipient, Lee's 679 points and 279 made field goals are new career single-season highs. She is the first player in program history with 675 or more points, 300 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocks.
The product of Byron, Minnesota, tops the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.561) and blocks (3.1 bpg). She also leads the Big 12 in 30-point games (8) and is second in the league for 20-point games (15) and second in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation in double-doubles (19).
Lee, a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection and a three-time ESPN.com National Player of the Week honoree, is second in the Big 12 in rebounding (10.3 rpg) and eighth in free throw percentage (.761).
In league play, Lee led the league in field goal percentage (.555), 30-point games in league play (4), games with 10 or more rebounds (11) and double-doubles (11). She finished second in the Big 12 in scoring (21.89 ppg) rebounding (9.78 rpg) and blocked shots (2.4 bpg).
In her career, Lee is one of three players in the 54-year history of K-State women's basketball to record 1,500 or more points, 800 or more rebounds and 200 or more blocks. She is among the top-15 in school history for career points (1,613; 9th), career field goals made (648; 9th), career rebounds (857; 8th) and career blocks (232; 3rd).
Up next for K-State is the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship. The Wildcats are slated as the six-seed and will face the three-seed, Texas, tonight at 7:30 p.m., in Kansas City at Municipal Auditorium. Session and single-game tickets are available at big12sports.com.
Friday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and will be available on the K-State Sports Network, free at kstatesports.com, and on the K-State Sports app.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in November, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February and now just five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committee.
The winner of the 2022 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on March 11 on hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award and the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, in addition to the Men's Starting Five. Additional information about the award presentation, including date and time, will be released in the coming weeks.
Joining Lee as a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award are: Aliyah Boston (South Carolina), Elissa Cunane (NC State), Tamari Key (Tennessee) and Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech).
In addition to being a Leslie Award finalist, Lee has been named a First Team All-American by The Athletic and Sports Illustrated this week. She is also a member of the 2022 Wooden Award national ballot. Lee is also a candidate for the 2022 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year and the 2021-22 Wade Trophy.
In the 2021-22 season, Lee leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth in the nation in scoring average (22.6 ppg), leads the Big 12 and is second in the nation in total points (679) and leads the nation in field goals made (279). Lee is the only player in the nation to average 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and 3 or more blocks.
Lee, a unanimous selection to the 2022 All-Big 12 First Team and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, owns a 2021-22 resume that includes an NCAA Division I record of 61 points scored against Oklahoma on January 23 and a Big 12-high eight games with 30 or more points.
A two-time United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week recipient, Lee's 679 points and 279 made field goals are new career single-season highs. She is the first player in program history with 675 or more points, 300 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocks.
The product of Byron, Minnesota, tops the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.561) and blocks (3.1 bpg). She also leads the Big 12 in 30-point games (8) and is second in the league for 20-point games (15) and second in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation in double-doubles (19).
Lee, a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection and a three-time ESPN.com National Player of the Week honoree, is second in the Big 12 in rebounding (10.3 rpg) and eighth in free throw percentage (.761).
In league play, Lee led the league in field goal percentage (.555), 30-point games in league play (4), games with 10 or more rebounds (11) and double-doubles (11). She finished second in the Big 12 in scoring (21.89 ppg) rebounding (9.78 rpg) and blocked shots (2.4 bpg).
In her career, Lee is one of three players in the 54-year history of K-State women's basketball to record 1,500 or more points, 800 or more rebounds and 200 or more blocks. She is among the top-15 in school history for career points (1,613; 9th), career field goals made (648; 9th), career rebounds (857; 8th) and career blocks (232; 3rd).
Up next for K-State is the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship. The Wildcats are slated as the six-seed and will face the three-seed, Texas, tonight at 7:30 p.m., in Kansas City at Municipal Auditorium. Session and single-game tickets are available at big12sports.com.
Friday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and will be available on the K-State Sports Network, free at kstatesports.com, and on the K-State Sports app.
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