MANHATTAN, Kansas (Kansas State Athletics) –Junior center and 2022 All-America and National Player of the Year candidate Ayoka Lee was among three K-State women’s basketball student-athletes to be recognized by the Big 12 coaches for their efforts this season, as the league office announced the 2021-22 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball Awards on Monday.
Lee was named a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team, which was the third straight season she has been named to the league’s top squad. Lee also became the third Wildcat in program history to be named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, her first career selection to the defensive team.
Lee was joined in the honors by freshmen Serena Sundell and Brylee Glenn. Sundell was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient and the duo were named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. Sundell was a unanimous selection to the team. During head coach Jeff Mittie’s eight seasons, K-State has registered six honorees to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
Lee is a candidate for every top women’s basketball honor, as she is on the Midseason Team for the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List, the 2022 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year top-15, a 2022 Wooden Award Late Season Watch List member, the 2021-22 Wade Trophy Watch List and the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award Top-10 Watch List – given to the nation’s top center.
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.
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).
In her first season in the Little Apple, Sundell led the Wildcats and ranked second in the Big 12 in assists per game (5.53 apg). She is second on the team and 19th in the Big 12 in scoring (10.6 ppg).
Sundell, a five-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week recipient, is the first K-State freshman guard to register 300 or more points, 160 or more assists and 20 or more blocks. She joins Kayla Goth as the only K-State guards in program history to reach these season milestones at any time in their careers.
At the conclusion of the regular season, Sundell led all Big 12 freshmen in scoring, assists, assists per game, blocks, 3-point field goals made, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Sundell is the only freshman in K-State history and the only freshman in the nation this season to register 160 or more assists and 40 or more 3-point field goals made in their debut season.
Glenn, a three-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week honoree, averaged 8.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals. Glenn notched nine games with 10 or more points including five in Big 12 games.
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, on Friday at 7:30 p.m., in Kansas City at Municipal Auditorium.
