Kansas State University Athletics
‘It’s a Very Surreal Feeling’
Jun 20, 2025 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Aniya Foy sits on a long, black-leather couch wearing a lavender Kansas State women's basketball t-shirt on the second floor of the Ice Family Basketball Center. The 5-foot-11 guard from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, Texas, has been in the Little Apple since June 7.
She's feeling right at home.
"We have workouts from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and then we have study hall at 1 p.m.," she says. "Then we have dinner at 5:30 p.m. And then I go to the gym to get up extra shots. I'm very excited."
The shooting routine is always the same.
"Close shots, form shooting, and then 100 mid-range shots and 100 3-pointers around the arc," she says. "That's my minimum. I'm very versatile, very explosive, and some people say I play like an old-school player, getting to the rim. I'm an all-around player, honestly. I can shoot, pass, dribble. I can do it all."
It's precisely what K-State associate head coach Ebony Gilliam spotted in Foy during her freshman season. Foy committed to K-State in April 2024. She was the first player to commit to K-State for the 2025 class.
Foy averaged 26.1 points 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 3.5 steals per game during a senior season in which she reached 2,200 career points and become the all-time leading scorer at Cinco Ranch. She scored 47 points in a single game. ESPN ranked her as the 47th-best women's basketball player in America and gave her a grade of 94. She chose K-State over North Carolina, Florida, Auburn and SMU.
She's been called the "modern-day elite guard" and that "she's known for her scoring ability, size and versatility on the perimeter" with "strong offensive skills and competitive intensity and leadership qualities that make her an immediate impact player."
Foy, for all of her talent, should have plenty of help.
Foy's roommates at K-State? Freshman guard Jordan Speiser, the 16th-rated high school women's player in the Class of 2025 by ESPN, and Brandie Harrod, the 58th-rated player in the Class of 2025.
ESPN ranks K-State's 2025 class as eighth best in Division I women's hoops.
"The spring addition of Brandie Harrod helped K-State jump from No. 10 to No. 8 in these rankings," ESPN wrote. "Jeff Mittie landed the best shooter in the country in Speiser, who was on an absolute heater all summer. Foy should complement Speiser very well, a slashing elite athlete who shows promise in her shooting. She is explosive to the rim and disruptive defensively and on the glass."
Foy's reaction?
"It makes me very excited," she says. "We're held to a high standard as freshmen, and it just shows regardless what class we're in we can still make an impact at K-State. I'm excited to make an impact on this team regardless of what the rankings say. I just want to go out and help my team win."
It appears the newcomers are already well-acquainted. They set up a group chat months ago, and the dialog wasn't just about basketball, but rather to get to know one another before they met face-to-face in Manhattan.
"Communication is a big part when it comes to us," Foy says. "We had group chats and we all meshed together. We always communicated with each other, whether it's small talk or not. We communicate at all times. Each of us as a relationship outside of basketball. That leads to the court. We're already comfortable with each other."
The art of communication goes hand-in-hand with the philosophy of K-State head coach Jeff Mittie.
"Coach Mittie says to lead no matter what, no matter what class we're in," Foy says. "That's what we're doing as freshmen. We'll be a really good fit this year. I'm excited. It's about communication and uplifting teammates and holding each other to a standard in the weight room. We have moments where we're literally cheering for our teammates while they're lifting."
There could be plenty of cheering for Foy and the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum this upcoming season.
Meanwhile, Foy is in the midst of a switch. After wearing No. 23 for many years to honor her all-time favorite player, Michael Jordan, Foy will switch to No. 5 for her K-State career. She wore No. 5 when she began playing soccer at age 4. It was the same number she wore when she began basketball at age 5.
"I'm going back to where it started," she says.
Foy's roots in basketball run deep. In elementary school, she went to 24-hour Fitness to shoot baskets at 5:00 a.m. In the summer, she says, "I wouldn't go home."
"Basketball has always been around me," she says. "It's gotten me to this point, so I'm grateful I made those sacrifices."
She received her first scholarship offer in the eighth grade from Houston. Gradually more scholarship offers followed. That included K-State. Foy already had a connection to K-State. One of Foy's favorite mentors, Angela Harris, played at K-State in 2019-20, and "she told me nothing but great things about the program," Foy says. "I'm glad she was able to be a part of this as well."
In the end, one fundamental aspect set K-State apart from the other schools: Family.
"Family is the biggest thing," Foy says. "Coming here, I was looking for a school that would build me inside and outside of basketball. This is the right place for me. I love it here. We have so much fun but we work hard. I'm really grateful and confident I made the right decision to come here."
Foy followed K-State since her commitment. She drove to College Station to see the Wildcats hand Texas A&M an 89-50 loss on December 8, 2024.
"All I could think about was me being on the court, too, and just imagining myself playing their system," she said. "It was really good."
K-State went on to reach its first Sweet Sixteen in 23 years.
Foy smiles at that memory.
"All I could think about was, 'That's going to be me one day,'" she says. "I want us to go even farther. All I can say is just watching us play on TV, finally being here, and preparing to get to that point, it's a very surreal feeling. I really want that to be us one day. I want us to thrive and be successful this upcoming season.
"I still have a lot to prove. I want to show people what I can really do and who I really am. I can't wait to finally showcase what I can do. Most importantly, I want to have a good time with my teammates, win games with them, and have a great season this year."
Aniya Foy sits on a long, black-leather couch wearing a lavender Kansas State women's basketball t-shirt on the second floor of the Ice Family Basketball Center. The 5-foot-11 guard from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, Texas, has been in the Little Apple since June 7.
She's feeling right at home.
"We have workouts from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and then we have study hall at 1 p.m.," she says. "Then we have dinner at 5:30 p.m. And then I go to the gym to get up extra shots. I'm very excited."
The shooting routine is always the same.
"Close shots, form shooting, and then 100 mid-range shots and 100 3-pointers around the arc," she says. "That's my minimum. I'm very versatile, very explosive, and some people say I play like an old-school player, getting to the rim. I'm an all-around player, honestly. I can shoot, pass, dribble. I can do it all."
It's precisely what K-State associate head coach Ebony Gilliam spotted in Foy during her freshman season. Foy committed to K-State in April 2024. She was the first player to commit to K-State for the 2025 class.
Foy averaged 26.1 points 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 3.5 steals per game during a senior season in which she reached 2,200 career points and become the all-time leading scorer at Cinco Ranch. She scored 47 points in a single game. ESPN ranked her as the 47th-best women's basketball player in America and gave her a grade of 94. She chose K-State over North Carolina, Florida, Auburn and SMU.
She's been called the "modern-day elite guard" and that "she's known for her scoring ability, size and versatility on the perimeter" with "strong offensive skills and competitive intensity and leadership qualities that make her an immediate impact player."
Foy, for all of her talent, should have plenty of help.
Foy's roommates at K-State? Freshman guard Jordan Speiser, the 16th-rated high school women's player in the Class of 2025 by ESPN, and Brandie Harrod, the 58th-rated player in the Class of 2025.
ESPN ranks K-State's 2025 class as eighth best in Division I women's hoops.
"The spring addition of Brandie Harrod helped K-State jump from No. 10 to No. 8 in these rankings," ESPN wrote. "Jeff Mittie landed the best shooter in the country in Speiser, who was on an absolute heater all summer. Foy should complement Speiser very well, a slashing elite athlete who shows promise in her shooting. She is explosive to the rim and disruptive defensively and on the glass."
Foy's reaction?
"It makes me very excited," she says. "We're held to a high standard as freshmen, and it just shows regardless what class we're in we can still make an impact at K-State. I'm excited to make an impact on this team regardless of what the rankings say. I just want to go out and help my team win."
It appears the newcomers are already well-acquainted. They set up a group chat months ago, and the dialog wasn't just about basketball, but rather to get to know one another before they met face-to-face in Manhattan.
"Communication is a big part when it comes to us," Foy says. "We had group chats and we all meshed together. We always communicated with each other, whether it's small talk or not. We communicate at all times. Each of us as a relationship outside of basketball. That leads to the court. We're already comfortable with each other."
The art of communication goes hand-in-hand with the philosophy of K-State head coach Jeff Mittie.
"Coach Mittie says to lead no matter what, no matter what class we're in," Foy says. "That's what we're doing as freshmen. We'll be a really good fit this year. I'm excited. It's about communication and uplifting teammates and holding each other to a standard in the weight room. We have moments where we're literally cheering for our teammates while they're lifting."
There could be plenty of cheering for Foy and the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum this upcoming season.
Meanwhile, Foy is in the midst of a switch. After wearing No. 23 for many years to honor her all-time favorite player, Michael Jordan, Foy will switch to No. 5 for her K-State career. She wore No. 5 when she began playing soccer at age 4. It was the same number she wore when she began basketball at age 5.
"I'm going back to where it started," she says.
Foy's roots in basketball run deep. In elementary school, she went to 24-hour Fitness to shoot baskets at 5:00 a.m. In the summer, she says, "I wouldn't go home."
"Basketball has always been around me," she says. "It's gotten me to this point, so I'm grateful I made those sacrifices."
She received her first scholarship offer in the eighth grade from Houston. Gradually more scholarship offers followed. That included K-State. Foy already had a connection to K-State. One of Foy's favorite mentors, Angela Harris, played at K-State in 2019-20, and "she told me nothing but great things about the program," Foy says. "I'm glad she was able to be a part of this as well."
In the end, one fundamental aspect set K-State apart from the other schools: Family.
"Family is the biggest thing," Foy says. "Coming here, I was looking for a school that would build me inside and outside of basketball. This is the right place for me. I love it here. We have so much fun but we work hard. I'm really grateful and confident I made the right decision to come here."
Foy followed K-State since her commitment. She drove to College Station to see the Wildcats hand Texas A&M an 89-50 loss on December 8, 2024.
"All I could think about was me being on the court, too, and just imagining myself playing their system," she said. "It was really good."
K-State went on to reach its first Sweet Sixteen in 23 years.
Foy smiles at that memory.
"All I could think about was, 'That's going to be me one day,'" she says. "I want us to go even farther. All I can say is just watching us play on TV, finally being here, and preparing to get to that point, it's a very surreal feeling. I really want that to be us one day. I want us to thrive and be successful this upcoming season.
"I still have a lot to prove. I want to show people what I can really do and who I really am. I can't wait to finally showcase what I can do. Most importantly, I want to have a good time with my teammates, win games with them, and have a great season this year."
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