Kansas State basketball star Ayoka Lee explains why she won’t pursue WNBA career
Shortly after the Kansas State women’s basketball team bowed out of the NCAA Tournament with a hard-fought loss to USC last week, Ayoka Lee was asked about her basketball future.
Did she want to pursue a professional career?
“That’s a tomorrow question,” she said.
Now, she has clarity. Lee announced on Thursday that she is ready for life after basketball. After fighting through myriad injuries to become the all-time leading scorer in program history for the Wildcats, she does not plan to play in the WNBA.
“I’ve learned that I am capable of more than I think I am,” Lee wrote on social media, “but also that it’s important to listen to what your body whispers to you before it begins to scream at you. For this reason, I’ve decided to forgo the draft and explore this next season of life apart from basketball.”
Lee did not come to this decision easily.
She is one of the most talented basketball players to ever put on a K-State uniform. Lee led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament three times during her storied college career and got all the way to the Sweet 16 in her final season. Along the way, she earned All-America honors and scored a record-breaking 61 points in a game.
But she was rarely healthy. Lee missed two entire seasons with knee injuries. Then, as a senior, she was forced to the sideline for 14 games while she battled a pair of foot injuries.
It was not easy for her to play late in the season. Now that her time with the Wildcats is over, she is ready for a break from basketball.
She graduated with a master’s in couple and family therapy. That will be her new focus.
“Words could never fully encapsulate how good God has been to me over the past seven years,” Lee wrote. “I am so thankful that he wanted me here at K-State. Though I would be doing myself an injustice by not admitting that it came with a lot of obstacles. Moments of questioning and moments of having to endure injuries that made me want to give up.”
Lee also thanked K-State fans for their support.
“It has been an absolute honor to represent this university for the last seven years,” she wrote. “When I arrived at K-State I was a 17-year old who felt like I had to prove myself but never imagined I would accomplish all that I have. Through the highest highs and the lowest lows I always knew I was supported not only by my close circle but also by our incredible fan base. You guys are what makes this place so special.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 10:16 PM with the headline "Kansas State basketball star Ayoka Lee explains why she won’t pursue WNBA career."