KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With as many returns as Kansas State women’s basketball has, the question begs itself: What is different about the Wildcats in 2024-25?
For starters, the offense.
“We changed the offense last year — we put in about 25% of that offense, so we’re now adding more [this year],” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “There has not been as much carryover as you would think from such a veteran team.”
Since the early days of practice, it’s been a struggle at times for the Wildcats. K-State reportedly lost its closed scrimmage against Minnesota last week.
“The early part has probably come with more bumps than you would expect,” Mittie said. “Some of that has been good bumps because it has been players expanding their role within the offense.”
Looking at the Wildcats’ roster, star center Ayoka Lee and high-profile transfer forward Temira Poindexter are fairly locked in at the four and five slots on the floor.
At the guard positions, K-State has the opportunity to present different looks.
“We’re experimenting with some lineups differently,” Mittie said. “The growth of [Taryn Sides], the growth of [Zyanna Walker] being able to play the point, may allow us to move [Serena Sundell] around a little bit more.”
Sundell, a senior and All-Big 12 team selection, has started for the Wildcats since her freshman season alongside senior guards Brylee Glenn and Jaelyn Glenn. While the trio is seemingly inseparable, that could change this year.
Sophomore guards Walker and Sides earned the right to more playing time early in their careers, and both can excel at Sundell’s main position at point guard.
“[Mittie] put a big emphasis on being decisive, being confident in decisions we’re making and that’s really helped us,” Walker said. “We do have a different offense. I think we’re kind of all just finding ways that we can fit in and contribute to that offense — it’s really coming together.”
Mittie said when Sides and Walker run the offense at point guard, it allows them to go “bigger” on offense as the 6-foot-2 Sundell moves to the three or small forward position. In that situation, the Wildcats lineup starts with Walker, followed by Jaelyn Glenn, Sundell, Pointdexter and Lee.
Sides battled a minor injury through the early parts of practice. She’s on track to be cleared before the season starts, but the brief window allowed Walker to shine as the point guard, earning an invite to Big 12 Media Days.
“[Her work ethic] is one of the reasons why she’s here today, because she was in the gym more than any player on her roster,” Mittie said. “[Walker] is one that I could catch [practicing] at 7 a.m., I could catch at 8 p.m. She takes her craft seriously, she loves to play and she’s a great teammate.”
Walker’s defensive intensity has always been her calling card and now she’s adding offensive ammunition to her arsenal.
“She’s grown in that area because of her leadership, of running a team, getting people in the right spots, she gets better every day,” Mittie said.
The Glenn twins have responded to the challenge of other guards competing for minutes — little to the surprise of their head coach.
“I still remember the first day of their conditioning on the track,” Mittie said. “Briley was coming off of an ankle surgery, and I told her not to go very fast, and she couldn’t keep herself from running it as hard as she could. It’s just in her DNA … their entire time at K-State has been exactly like that. They just come and put the work in.”
With how much depth the Wildcats present this season, especially at guard, it is something that Sundell said she can marvel at when looking at her teammates.
“We can do a lot of things, which I think will be really helpful when it comes to game time,” she said.” [We can] exploit matchups and find success in areas that make sense for us.”
