Kansas State star center Ayoka Lee has dealt with a lot throughout her seven-year college basketball career. A torn ACL, ankle surgery, and now another injury have kept Lee out for some significant time for now, the third season in a row.
In Kansas State's 81-69 win over Arizona State on Sunday, Lee checked out in the second quarter with about five minutes left in the second quarter. Lee limped to the locker room and never returned to the bench in the second half. Lee only played 13 minutes for the Wildcats and scored just seven points in KSU's victory.
Head coach Jeff Mittie spoke to the media after the win and gave a little bit of insight into what is going on with Lee.
"It's not good," Mittie said in his postgame press conference. "I don't have a definitive update but it's not going to be a week or two. I have not talked to the doctors, I have not talked to the trainers. But it's probably not good."
Lee is the leading scorer for this No. 10 ranked Wildcats team, averaging 16.0 points per game in just 19.1 minutes per game. Senior guard Serena Sundell and new transfer Temira Poindexter follow Lee, averaging 13.0 and 12.9 points per game.
This isn't the first time Lee is missing time during a season due to injury. Last season, Lee missed roughly two months due to an ankle injury that they ended up having surgery on. The season before, Lee missed the majority of the season with a torn ACL, which is why she has had seven years of college eligibility up to this point.
Lee has been a focal point for this Kansas State offense that has dominated teams. Not only is she the lead scorer, but she also is lethal on defense, leading the team in rebounds with 6.3 per game and blocks with 2.3 per game.
Kansas State fans will anxiously await further news of Lee's injury to know how long they will be without their star on the court. The good news is Kansas State knows how to adjust without their star center.