As the 2025-2026 season wrapped up for the Kansas State women’s basketball team, there is much growth and reflection to look back on. While the statsheet may not reflect all the team’s success at times, it demonstrates how it has matured.
The Wildcats ended the season 18-17 overall and 8-10 in conference play. Going into the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 12 seed, K-State beat the odds, making history as the first 12 seed to make it to the semifinals. This record also made K-State history, as it was the second time in program history and the first time since 1997 that the Wildcats won three games during the Big 12 Tournament.
The skillful and talented roster averaged 69.8 points per game, edging out their competition’s average of 67.1 ppg. When shooting from beyond the arc, the Wildcats hit 34.8% of their shots, along with shooting 43% from field goal range. K-State shot 71% once they were squared up at the stripe.
Four Wildcats stood out throughout the season, each contributing in different areas on the stats sheet.
Quick to the ball and speedy, junior guard Taryn Sides led the team in steals with 64 on the season. Her fast reaction time and skillset of reading passes make her dangerous and give her the ability to pick up steals on the defensive end. Sides is a double-edged sword, just as dangerous on offense as she is on defense. Her capacity to drive downhill is also offset by her three-point shooting, leading the team shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc.
The rookie guard, Jordan Speiser, ranked second in terms of K-State’s three-pointers made, knocking down 69 threes throughout the season out of her 196 attempted. Speiser tied the national mark by a freshman in the last 15 years for three-point field goals made in any conference tournament in NCAA Division I, as she made 16 in the four games. Additionally, her 16 made 3-point field goals were the most in a tournament in school history and the second-most in Big 12 history.
Small but mighty is one way to describe this Wildcat because driving to the basket through contact is something she does consistently well. Whether it’s making the basket, drawing a foul or converting a three-point play, senior guard Tess Heal happily lives at the 15-foot stripe. Heal leads K-State with 101 made free throws out of 117 attempted. She also ranks No. 2 under Speiser for free-throw percentage at 86.3%.
Lastly, the Belgian forward Nastja Claessens leads the team in field goals made and percentage. Claessens made 150 out of 290 attempted shots, along with a field goal percentage of 51.7%. The versatile junior was dangerous, being able to shoot anywhere on the floor and play any position as well. Going from a big to a guard, it was difficult to stop Claessens on offense, boosting her high shooting percentage from the floor.
From beginning to end, K-State grew tremendously from October to March. Although starting strong and going on a four-game winning streak, the Wildcats would be quickly halted by back-to-back losses. The first came from South Dakota in a one-point loss, 72-71, on Nov. 13. The second loss came from Texas A&M in a 77-72 battle on Nov. 16. K-State would also go into Big 12 play with a loss, 77-55 against TCU on Dec. 20. K-State would later face the Horned Frogs during the semifinal game of the Big 12 Tournament, and the ‘Cats showed their improvement, battling all game long but falling short 74-62.
Even though the Wildcats ended the season just one win above .500, it’s more than that. As the season progressed, turnovers lessened, and basketball IQ increased, showing growth and development.
K-State will now await its postseason destination, with the selection show for the 2026 WBIT on Sunday, March 15, at 8 p.m., on ESPN+.
