MANHATTAN, Kansas – (Kansas State Athletics) Kansas State junior center Ayoka Lee continues to pile up honors for her play in the 2021-22, as she was named to the Associated Press (AP) All-America Second Team.
Lee is the first AP All-American in the Jeff Mittie era at K-State and the seventh player in program history to receive the honor. Lee is the first Wildcat to be named to either the AP first, second or third team since Kendra Wecker at the conclusion of the 2004-05 season.
In addition to her AP All-America honor, Lee was named a First Team All-American by The Athletic and Sports Illustrated and is a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award. She is also a member of the 2022 Wooden Award national ballot and 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 is second in the Big 12 and ranks seventh in the nation in scoring average (22.4 ppg). She is second in the Big 12 and is fifth in the nation in total points (695) and leads the nation in field goals made (286). 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 695 points and 286 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 (.566) and is second in blocks (3.0 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 11th 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 (10.2 rpg) and eighth in free throw percentage (.764).
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 the third player in program history with 1,600 or more points, 800 or more rebounds and 200 or more blocks. She ranks ninth in school history for career points (1,629), seventh in school history for career rebounds (864) and third for career blocks (233).
K-State (19-12, 9-9 Big 12) will make its 17th NCAA Tournament appearance, as the Wildcats were was chosen as a No. 9 seed in the Bridgeport, Connecticut regional of the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. K-State will be opposed by No. 8 seed Washington State (19-10, 11-6 Pac 12) on Saturday, March 19 at 10:30 a.m., (CDT) in Raleigh, North Carolina, at Reynolds Coliseum.
The winner of the Kansas State-Washington State game will play the winner of the No. 1 NC State-No. 16 Longwood/Mt. St. Mary’s matchup on Monday, March 21. The top four seeds in the Bridgeport region are: No. 1 NC State (29-3), No. 2 Connecticut (25-5), No. 3 Indiana (22-8) and No. 4 Oklahoma (24-8).
