Lee Named to 2023-24 Leslie Award Watch List
Oct 20, 2023 | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kansas – For the third time in her career, K-State center Ayoka Lee has been named to the 2023-24 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award Preseason Watch List. The award recognizes the top centers in women's college basketball every year.
Lee, a 2023-24 Preseason All-Big 12 selection, was a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award in the 2021-22 season.
Presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the Lisa Leslie Award is named after the three-time All-American, 1994 National Player of the Year and Class of 2015 Hall of Famer.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Friday, October 20. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Lisa Leslie Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
The 2024 Lisa Leslie Award winner 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 Award Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (shooting guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward) and the Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Men's Starting Five.
Other candidates for the award are: Cameron Brink of Stanford, Jessika Carter of Mississippi State, Alexis Markowski of Nebraska, Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech, Tamari Key of Tennessee, Mackenzie Holmes of Indiana, Taylor Jones of Texas, Taiyanna Jackson of Kansas, Bella Murekatete of Washington State, Rayah Marshall of USC, Sedona Prince of TCU, Lauren Betts of UCLA, Liz Scott of Oklahoma, Kennedy Brown of Duke, Ila Lane of California, Raegen Beers of Oregon State, Kamila Cardosa of South Carolina, Desi-Rae Young of UNLV and Maria Gakdeng of North Carolina.
Kansas State will face four of the candidates – Jones, Jackson, Prince and Scott – during its 2023-24 schedule and possibly a fifth – Gakdeng – in the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Prior to missing the 2022-23 season due to the rehabilitation from a knee injury, Lee was a First Team All-American by The Athletic and Sports Illustrated, a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and USBWA, a Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention recipient, a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award, a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection by the league's coaches and garnered her first selection to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team in the 2021-22 season.
Lee completed the 2021-22 season with career-highs in a number of statistical categories including points (727), points per game (22.0), field goals made and attempted (296-526), free throws made and attempted (135-175), rebounds (339), blocks (95), steals (39), assists (23) and double-doubles (20).
In her career, Lee ranks ninth in school history for points scored with 1,661, sixth for rebounds with 887, third for blocks with 235, sixth for field goals made with 665 and sixth for free throws made with 331. She is also second for double-doubles with 49.
K-State will begin the 2023-24 season with an exhibition game on Friday, November 3, against Pittsburg State at 6:30 p.m. The Wildcats will kick off the non-conference portion of its schedule on Monday, November 6, against Presbyterian at 6:30 p.m.
K-State women's basketball season tickets for the 2023-24 season are available now for purchase. For more information on season ticket packages for the Wildcats' home schedule, contact the K-State Athletics Ticket Office by calling 1-800-221-CATS or visit www.kstatesports.com/tickets.
About Lisa Leslie:
Widely regarded as the best player in the country during her senior year of high school, Leslie decided to play basketball close to home at University of Southern California. While at USC, she set Pac-10 records for scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, earning All-Pac-10 honors each of her four seasons. In 1991, she was named national freshman of the year and went on to earn All-American Honors the following three seasons. In her senior season, she won multiple national player of the year awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year and the WBCA Player of the Year. In the summer of 1997, the Women's National Basketball Association was launched and with it, Lisa Leslie became a household name. The Los Angeles Sparks landed the hometown star, who would go on to help them win two world championships. As an eight-time All-Star and three-time MVP, Leslie became the face of the WNBA. In 2002, she became the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. Leslie retired as the all-time leading rebounder in WNBA history and was an eight-time First Team All-WNBA performer. Internationally, Leslie won four gold medals in Olympic competition. Since retiring from professional play, Leslie has worked as a sports commentator and analyst for several networks, while exploring fashion modeling and acting as well.
Lee, a 2023-24 Preseason All-Big 12 selection, was a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award in the 2021-22 season.
Presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the Lisa Leslie Award is named after the three-time All-American, 1994 National Player of the Year and Class of 2015 Hall of Famer.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Friday, October 20. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Lisa Leslie Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
The 2024 Lisa Leslie Award winner 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 Award Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (shooting guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward) and the Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Men's Starting Five.
Other candidates for the award are: Cameron Brink of Stanford, Jessika Carter of Mississippi State, Alexis Markowski of Nebraska, Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech, Tamari Key of Tennessee, Mackenzie Holmes of Indiana, Taylor Jones of Texas, Taiyanna Jackson of Kansas, Bella Murekatete of Washington State, Rayah Marshall of USC, Sedona Prince of TCU, Lauren Betts of UCLA, Liz Scott of Oklahoma, Kennedy Brown of Duke, Ila Lane of California, Raegen Beers of Oregon State, Kamila Cardosa of South Carolina, Desi-Rae Young of UNLV and Maria Gakdeng of North Carolina.
Kansas State will face four of the candidates – Jones, Jackson, Prince and Scott – during its 2023-24 schedule and possibly a fifth – Gakdeng – in the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Prior to missing the 2022-23 season due to the rehabilitation from a knee injury, Lee was a First Team All-American by The Athletic and Sports Illustrated, a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and USBWA, a Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention recipient, a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award, a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection by the league's coaches and garnered her first selection to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team in the 2021-22 season.
Lee completed the 2021-22 season with career-highs in a number of statistical categories including points (727), points per game (22.0), field goals made and attempted (296-526), free throws made and attempted (135-175), rebounds (339), blocks (95), steals (39), assists (23) and double-doubles (20).
In her career, Lee ranks ninth in school history for points scored with 1,661, sixth for rebounds with 887, third for blocks with 235, sixth for field goals made with 665 and sixth for free throws made with 331. She is also second for double-doubles with 49.
K-State will begin the 2023-24 season with an exhibition game on Friday, November 3, against Pittsburg State at 6:30 p.m. The Wildcats will kick off the non-conference portion of its schedule on Monday, November 6, against Presbyterian at 6:30 p.m.
K-State women's basketball season tickets for the 2023-24 season are available now for purchase. For more information on season ticket packages for the Wildcats' home schedule, contact the K-State Athletics Ticket Office by calling 1-800-221-CATS or visit www.kstatesports.com/tickets.
About Lisa Leslie:
Widely regarded as the best player in the country during her senior year of high school, Leslie decided to play basketball close to home at University of Southern California. While at USC, she set Pac-10 records for scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, earning All-Pac-10 honors each of her four seasons. In 1991, she was named national freshman of the year and went on to earn All-American Honors the following three seasons. In her senior season, she won multiple national player of the year awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year and the WBCA Player of the Year. In the summer of 1997, the Women's National Basketball Association was launched and with it, Lisa Leslie became a household name. The Los Angeles Sparks landed the hometown star, who would go on to help them win two world championships. As an eight-time All-Star and three-time MVP, Leslie became the face of the WNBA. In 2002, she became the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. Leslie retired as the all-time leading rebounder in WNBA history and was an eight-time First Team All-WNBA performer. Internationally, Leslie won four gold medals in Olympic competition. Since retiring from professional play, Leslie has worked as a sports commentator and analyst for several networks, while exploring fashion modeling and acting as well.
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