When was the last time Kansas State women's basketball made the Sweet 16?

The Kansas State women's basketball team has hit several obstacles this season under head coach Jeff Mittie. Not only did the team lose four of their last six games before the NCAA Tournament, but they also lost star center Ayoka Lee for two months toward the end of the season.

All told, Lee missed 14 games for the Wildcats, but her team held it down and kept them in a position to make a deep March Madness run when she returned. Fortunately, she was healthy just in time for the Tournament, and now, Kansas State is rolling.

On Sunday, the team defeated Kentucky in the Round of 32, catapulting them into the Sweet 16. This accomplishment was a long time coming for the Wildcats, who have not made it past the first weekend in the NCAA Tournament for over two decades.

When was the last time Kansas State women's basketball made the Sweet 16?

The Kansas State women's basketball team has not made the Sweet 16 since the 2001-2002 season, which means that it has been over two decades since the Wildcats have won two games in the NCAA Tournament.

Back then, Deb Patterson was in the early years of her tenure as head coach and had four future WNBA players on the roster. Nicole Ohlde, Laurie Koehn, Kendra Wecker, and Megan Mahoney led the way for the Wildcats in what was the program's last Regional Semifinal until this year.

Now, Jeff Mittie will lead the Wildcats into the second weekend with Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell, and Temira Poindexter forming a three-headed monster for their opponents.

Kansas State will take on the winner of Southern California and Mississippi State, neither of which will be easy to overcome. If the team can win another game, they'll make the program's first Elite 8 since 1982 with a chance to earn their first Final Four appearance.

But for now, all eyes are on next weekend as the Wildcats and their fans will get to enjoy something that is over two decades in the making.