Back for ‘Unfinished Business’
Oct 23, 2024 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
There are simply so many special things about Ayoka Lee. The fact that the 6-foot-6 Kansas State center is so unassuming makes everything even more special. Here we are at the 2024-25 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Media Day and Lee's polite smile warms T-Mobile Center. She's a 2024-25 Preseason All-American honorable mention selection, she's the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, and she's surrounded by reporters.
In this look-at-me day in age where so much about athletics has become ego-driven to a fault, Lee would prefer to talk about her teammates or helping others. The sixth-year senior uses her star power for good. She almost blushed the first time she saw the poster commemorating her NCAA Division I women's basketball record 61 points. At K-State, she's greatness in the flesh. She's on the verge of breaking all the records.
And she just wants to help her team win.
"Absolutely, there's some unfinished business," Lee says.
There was a time, of course, when none of this seemed possible for Lee, who has twice earned a medical redshirt. She missed her freshman season due to injury. Two years ago, she missed the entire season while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Last season, still not playing at 100% health, she still made her presence felt. She could've gone on to the WNBA. Instead, she has come back. Something about unfinished business. K-State went 26-8 but was unable to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Now the Wildcats, who are ranked No. 13 in the initial AP Top 25 Poll, return a plethora of senior power. This might be the most talented K-State roster in two decades, and Lee is ready to get the party started.
"We had a great season last year but there are some things like the Big 12 title and not making it out of the second round of the NCAA Tournament that really stuck with all of us," Lee says. "Another big factor for coming back is I've had such a great experience at K-State. There aren't a lot of athletes that can be in my position. That's just the reality of the athletics world we live in."
K-State head coach Jeff Mittie knows that there's another layer to Lee that is special.
"Yokie has always been a young lady who is where her feet are and that's what I've loved about her since she came in as a freshman," he says. "She's just so grateful for the entire experience. She uses words as a young adult like, 'thankful,' 'grateful,' 'appreciative,' more than any kid I've ever coached. It's really not hard for her to be where her feet are."
Lee is currently planted right in the middle of a team that was picked first place in the Big 12 Preseason Poll for the first time in history and returns 10 letterwinners, including four starters from last season's NCAA Tournament squad. Lee and senior point guard Serena Sundell were named Preseason All-Big 12. The Glenn twins — Brylee Glenn and Jaelyn Glenn — are returning senior starters. Senior transfer Temira Poindexter averaged 21.0 points last season at Tulsa. Guards Zyanna Walker, with her all-around game, and Taryn Sides, with her deadly 3-point touch, figure to be sensational sophomores.
And there's Lee smack in the middle — healthy and ready to rock.
"It's definitely not something I take for granted," she says. "There's definitely times last year where I don't think I could ever do the things that I'm doing right now in the weight room or with how things are feeling on the court. It's been really cool. Prior to this summer, I hadn't squatted (in years) because of my knee. To do that again was kind of cool. It's really exciting and not something I take for granted."
It's an extreme honor, yes, but also a hefty responsibility being named a Preseason Player of the Year in any sport. Lee will wear the title well. She is one of the top ambassadors of women's college hoops. She is, of course, extremely talented on the court. Experts like Lee's footwork. They like her touch in the post. They like how she uses her height defensively. One WNBA mock draft has her going with the No. 5 overall pick. It says that "she's the best domestic center prospect in this class."
But there's more to Lee than basketball.
"Right now, one of my big passions is helping people through therapy and being a therapist has been a joy added to my life," she says. "It's something that fills me up along with basketball. I'm really thankful to have a coach who allows me to figure out how to do both."
Lee is special. She is doing things that nobody has ever done in the history of K-State women's basketball and what few have ever achieved in the history of the Big 12. She holds 43 single-game, season and career K-State records. Score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds and block 300 shots? Lee did that. Go for 700 points, 300 rebounds and 90 blocks in a single season? Lee did that. Average 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds in a career? Are you sure Lee did that? Yep, Lee is doing that. And there's more to come.
She is on pace to join Baylor's Brittney Griner and Oklahoma's Courtney Paris as the only three players in Big 12 women's basketball history to rank top-5 all-time in points, rebounds and blocks.
"Yokie is obviously the best center I've ever played with or been on a court with," Sundell says. "Off the court, she's just such an even better human than she is a basketball player. She has her life figured out, which is inspiring to see her be a completely different person off the court and have so many other things that she's passionate about. To see her succeed in all areas is really fun."
Her profile and list of achievements in the K-State women's basketball media guide spans six pages (also believed to be a record): two-time All-America selection by The Athletic, a third-team All-America selection by Sporting News, four All-Big 12 First Team accolades, two selections to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, and three Academic All-America honors.
She'll likely be on the Wooden Award watch list — again. And she'll likely be on the Naismith Trophy watch list — again. And she'll likely be on the Lisa Leslie Award watch list — again.
We've seen that soft turnaround jumpshot in the lane too many times to count. We've seen her run up and down the court and rebound and deliver devastating blocks. She casts a shadow the size of the Little Apple.
K-State will be fiercely competitive again. And people will come and watch.
"I remember Coach Mittie telling me on my recruiting visit about K-State's rich history, and it's been really good to see how that's increased and been renewed in some way," Lee says. "I remember Nicole Ohlde telling stories about the lines outside of Bramlage being super long. I remember thinking, 'I want to experience that at K-State.' We got a little glimpse of that last year, so that was really cool."
There no doubt are many cool experiences still to come for Lee and K-State. As for being picked first in the new 16-team Big 12 Conference?
"It's a reflection of the work we've put in last year and in the previous years," Lee says. "It helps having a lot of returners back and just the consistency that that provides. We haven't thought much about it. We're really just focused on the expectations that we have for ourselves."
People talk about once-in-a-generation players. Sometimes the term is overused. Here, it cannot be over-emphasized. She's a great player. She's a great person. And in a way, this story is just getting good, a riveting new chapter still being written, a tale about basketball and life.
A tale about Yokie and unfinished business.
"There are definitely moments that are like, 'Dang, this is the last time,'" Lee says. "Not everyone gets to have the experience that I've had in college as a student-athlete. I'm just really thankful."
There are simply so many special things about Ayoka Lee. The fact that the 6-foot-6 Kansas State center is so unassuming makes everything even more special. Here we are at the 2024-25 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Media Day and Lee's polite smile warms T-Mobile Center. She's a 2024-25 Preseason All-American honorable mention selection, she's the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, and she's surrounded by reporters.
In this look-at-me day in age where so much about athletics has become ego-driven to a fault, Lee would prefer to talk about her teammates or helping others. The sixth-year senior uses her star power for good. She almost blushed the first time she saw the poster commemorating her NCAA Division I women's basketball record 61 points. At K-State, she's greatness in the flesh. She's on the verge of breaking all the records.
And she just wants to help her team win.
"Absolutely, there's some unfinished business," Lee says.
There was a time, of course, when none of this seemed possible for Lee, who has twice earned a medical redshirt. She missed her freshman season due to injury. Two years ago, she missed the entire season while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Last season, still not playing at 100% health, she still made her presence felt. She could've gone on to the WNBA. Instead, she has come back. Something about unfinished business. K-State went 26-8 but was unable to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Now the Wildcats, who are ranked No. 13 in the initial AP Top 25 Poll, return a plethora of senior power. This might be the most talented K-State roster in two decades, and Lee is ready to get the party started.
"We had a great season last year but there are some things like the Big 12 title and not making it out of the second round of the NCAA Tournament that really stuck with all of us," Lee says. "Another big factor for coming back is I've had such a great experience at K-State. There aren't a lot of athletes that can be in my position. That's just the reality of the athletics world we live in."
K-State head coach Jeff Mittie knows that there's another layer to Lee that is special.
"Yokie has always been a young lady who is where her feet are and that's what I've loved about her since she came in as a freshman," he says. "She's just so grateful for the entire experience. She uses words as a young adult like, 'thankful,' 'grateful,' 'appreciative,' more than any kid I've ever coached. It's really not hard for her to be where her feet are."
Lee is currently planted right in the middle of a team that was picked first place in the Big 12 Preseason Poll for the first time in history and returns 10 letterwinners, including four starters from last season's NCAA Tournament squad. Lee and senior point guard Serena Sundell were named Preseason All-Big 12. The Glenn twins — Brylee Glenn and Jaelyn Glenn — are returning senior starters. Senior transfer Temira Poindexter averaged 21.0 points last season at Tulsa. Guards Zyanna Walker, with her all-around game, and Taryn Sides, with her deadly 3-point touch, figure to be sensational sophomores.
And there's Lee smack in the middle — healthy and ready to rock.
"It's definitely not something I take for granted," she says. "There's definitely times last year where I don't think I could ever do the things that I'm doing right now in the weight room or with how things are feeling on the court. It's been really cool. Prior to this summer, I hadn't squatted (in years) because of my knee. To do that again was kind of cool. It's really exciting and not something I take for granted."
It's an extreme honor, yes, but also a hefty responsibility being named a Preseason Player of the Year in any sport. Lee will wear the title well. She is one of the top ambassadors of women's college hoops. She is, of course, extremely talented on the court. Experts like Lee's footwork. They like her touch in the post. They like how she uses her height defensively. One WNBA mock draft has her going with the No. 5 overall pick. It says that "she's the best domestic center prospect in this class."
But there's more to Lee than basketball.
"Right now, one of my big passions is helping people through therapy and being a therapist has been a joy added to my life," she says. "It's something that fills me up along with basketball. I'm really thankful to have a coach who allows me to figure out how to do both."
Lee is special. She is doing things that nobody has ever done in the history of K-State women's basketball and what few have ever achieved in the history of the Big 12. She holds 43 single-game, season and career K-State records. Score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds and block 300 shots? Lee did that. Go for 700 points, 300 rebounds and 90 blocks in a single season? Lee did that. Average 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds in a career? Are you sure Lee did that? Yep, Lee is doing that. And there's more to come.
She is on pace to join Baylor's Brittney Griner and Oklahoma's Courtney Paris as the only three players in Big 12 women's basketball history to rank top-5 all-time in points, rebounds and blocks.
"Yokie is obviously the best center I've ever played with or been on a court with," Sundell says. "Off the court, she's just such an even better human than she is a basketball player. She has her life figured out, which is inspiring to see her be a completely different person off the court and have so many other things that she's passionate about. To see her succeed in all areas is really fun."
Her profile and list of achievements in the K-State women's basketball media guide spans six pages (also believed to be a record): two-time All-America selection by The Athletic, a third-team All-America selection by Sporting News, four All-Big 12 First Team accolades, two selections to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, and three Academic All-America honors.
She'll likely be on the Wooden Award watch list — again. And she'll likely be on the Naismith Trophy watch list — again. And she'll likely be on the Lisa Leslie Award watch list — again.
We've seen that soft turnaround jumpshot in the lane too many times to count. We've seen her run up and down the court and rebound and deliver devastating blocks. She casts a shadow the size of the Little Apple.
K-State will be fiercely competitive again. And people will come and watch.
"I remember Coach Mittie telling me on my recruiting visit about K-State's rich history, and it's been really good to see how that's increased and been renewed in some way," Lee says. "I remember Nicole Ohlde telling stories about the lines outside of Bramlage being super long. I remember thinking, 'I want to experience that at K-State.' We got a little glimpse of that last year, so that was really cool."
There no doubt are many cool experiences still to come for Lee and K-State. As for being picked first in the new 16-team Big 12 Conference?
"It's a reflection of the work we've put in last year and in the previous years," Lee says. "It helps having a lot of returners back and just the consistency that that provides. We haven't thought much about it. We're really just focused on the expectations that we have for ourselves."
People talk about once-in-a-generation players. Sometimes the term is overused. Here, it cannot be over-emphasized. She's a great player. She's a great person. And in a way, this story is just getting good, a riveting new chapter still being written, a tale about basketball and life.
A tale about Yokie and unfinished business.
"There are definitely moments that are like, 'Dang, this is the last time,'" Lee says. "Not everyone gets to have the experience that I've had in college as a student-athlete. I'm just really thankful."
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