Kansas State women’s basketball was one of the hottest teams in the country through the first two and a half months of the season, but they wobbled after star center Ayoka Lee suffered injuries. The senior missed a month with a fractured foot and then missed another month after undergoing a procedure on her other foot, resulting in the Wildcats falling to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. She made her big return on Friday, though, instantly injecting excitement into Manhattan.
Lee only played 15 minutes in what was her first game since Feb. 22, but she made a big impact just the same. The former Second-Team All-American selection posted a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 7-of-10 in the Wildcats’ 85-41 victory versus Fairfield in the Round of 64. Although the competition is obviously inferior, she showed no signs of vulnerability after the long layoff.
Kansas State fans’ confidence is surely rising after seeing Lee dominate in limited action. She could hardly contain her excitement when speaking to reporters in the postgame press conference.
“It felt great,” the 24-year-old said, per Landon Reinhardt of KSNT 27 News. “It’s been a minute. I think our support staff, trainers, strength coach did a great job at just keeping everything where it needed to be while I was out. Because it’s a long time and it’s not fun going through that many rehabs…. They put me through everything I needed to go through to make sure I was ready for this.”
K-State Star center Ayoka Lee on her return to action, putting up 17 points and 10 rebounds in just 15min
“It felt great. It’s been a minute…it’s not fun going through that many rehabs”
Says her feet feel great and she could have played more pic.twitter.com/gM9DVlq59q
— Landon Reinhardt (@landonian87) March 21, 2025
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State women’s basketball aim to make a big statement
Ayoka Lee has endured a series of ups and downs during her illustrious tenure with the Wildcats. She set a record for most points scored in a single NCAA women’s Division I game, dropping 61 versus Oklahoma in January of 2022. She then missed the entire following season after undergoing knee surgery in August. Lee’s mental fortitude continues to be tested, but she has overcome adversity time and again.
Kansas State women’s basketball has also gotten the opportunity to see what it is made of during Lee’s absences. Consequently, the hope is that the whole squad is now stronger after surviving all these obstacles. We will see if that is indeed true when Lee and company face off with No. 4 seed Kentucky in an NCAA Tournament second-round matchup this Sunday.
The post Kansas State star Ayoka Lee’s instant reaction to injury return in NCAA Tournament win appeared first on ClutchPoints.
