One game cannot describe the legacy of Kansas State center Ayoka Lee.
Her career was cemented in the rafters after her NCAA Division I women’s basketball record of 61 points in a single game. She later became K-State’s all-time leading shot blocker and rebounder.
After scoring point No. 2,334 on Tuesday night in career game 122, Lee is alone at the top as K-State’s all-time leading scorer.
“It’s crazy, I am so grateful,” the star said through a smile. “It takes a lot of games, it takes a lot of passes, it takes a lot of everything to get to that point. It’s crazy.”
The 6-foot-6 center sent goosebumps across a home crowd at Bramlage Coliseum when she notched the record-breaking basket and was awarded with a standing ovation. Simply put, few people are more deserving of the accolades she has earned.
“We often hear phrases like ‘a better person than player,’” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “But in her case, my highest compliment would be that she’d have to be an extraordinary person to surpass the kind of player she is, because she’s phenomenal at both.”
Lee broke the mark held by Wildcat great Kendra Wecker, who held the status for nearly 20 years. Before Wecker, fellow great Nicole Ohlde owned the school scoring record of 2,241 points.
“It’s crazy, I have so much respect for them and the trail they blazed,” Lee said. “K-State wouldn’t have such a rich history without players like that, so it’s really cool.”
Lee, despite playing across seven seasons with COVID and two injury redshirts, accomplished the feat in six fewer games than Wecker.
“Kendra Wecker, in my book, is the greatest athlete to come through here and so they’re both terrific players,” Mittie said. “So for her to do it in 122 games, a very similar number as Wecker, is just a tribute to both of them, how great of players they are and both are K State legends. And Ayoka still has some ways to go here, but certainly, it was a special night to get it done.”
On the assist for the basketball was guard Zyanna Walker, who notched her first career double-double with a game-high 16 points and 10 assists.
“I cannot do it on my own,” Lee said. “None of the records I have I can do on my own.”
Furthermore, senior guard Serena Sundell, who started alongside Lee for the majority of her career, passed 600 assists in her prized point guard career, slotting second place all-time.
“It’s so fun playing on the court with Yokie,” Sundell said. “She makes my job so easy. Sometimes it feels like I’m just throwing up a prayer, but her hands are so good, her touch on the ball, it’s very rare. It’s just the way she goes about it, with so much joy, and she’s so humble, and she works hard.”
Similar to Mittie, Sundell is quick to add that Lee’s basketball prowess is only a fraction of what makes her so special.
“If you talked to her on the street, basketball probably wouldn’t even come up unless you brought it up,” Sundell said. “She has so many other things going for her. For her to achieve this record is just incredible.”
Sundell adds Lee isn’t just humble with a mic in front of her. Behind closed doors in the locker room, Lee remains a mild-mannered star whose focus is collective success.
“That was her very honest answer,” Sundell said. “She doesn’t want to come back to break the all-time scoring record, but she’s going to do that. She said, ‘I want to win a Big 12 championship.’ She just wants to win, that’s the best part about her. She just wants to compete, she wants to win.”
While the latest line to Lee’s lengthy legacy is one of the many highs of her career, there’s no denying there were a handful of lows. Between two season-ending injuries and a COVID year, Lee’s time in Manhattan has reached seven years.
“Coaching her has been a joy, but it hasn’t always been easy,” Mittie said. “When you have an athlete go through so much, like injuries and COVID. The emotional and physical toll that comes with persevering through those challenges, it’s hard, not just for the athlete but also for the coach.”
Mittie recalls the countless number of difficult conversations with Lee over the years, which make her triumphs ever so rewarding.
“We’ve had tough moments together, after surgeries, during rehab and in those moments of uncertainty,” Mittie said. “Watching an athlete go through that is never easy. It hasn’t been a fairy tale without adversity. This has been a story of resilience and overcoming obstacles.”
