Kansas State guard Serena Sundell keeps breaking school records, one assist at a time
Serena Sundell doesn’t top the Kansas State record books in every meaningful statistic for a guard, but it has sometimes felt that way this season.
The senior from Maryville led the Wildcats to 26 victories and a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament by averaging 13.6 points, 7.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Simply put: she did it all.
Sundell sent out so many dimes this year that she currently ranks second nationally in assists (233). She only needs 19 more to surpass Shalee Lehning as K-State’s career leader in the category. If it happens, that would pair nicely with some of the program records she already owns, such as career starts and games played.
She is also the only player in school history with at least 1,500 career points, 700 career assists and 100 career blocked shots.
Her longevity is one of K-State’s best attributes as it prepares for March Madness and a first round game against No. 12 seed Fairfield at 1:30 p.m. on Friday in Lexington, Kentucky.
“The game has slowed way down for me,” Sundell said. “There have been many moments where over the past three years in shot-clock stuff I would have been super sped up and really stressed out. But now I’m calm. If it’s a ball screen, I’m thinking drive the roll. If there’s no roll, I’m looking at where the help defense is coming from and I’m finding a shooter. Everything just feels a little easier.”
Sundell was such a good distributor this season that K-State coach Jeff Mittie asked her to direct the offense out of the paint at times when star center Ayoka Lee was sidelined with foot injuries.
She obliged by scoring 27 points, grabbing six rebounds and sending out four assists in a home victory over Big 12 champion TCU.
Her ability to pass the ball to an open teammate is not limited to the top of the key. Her vision and basketball IQ have allowed her to be a quarterback all over the court.
“She has always had such a great ability to get the ball to Lee in spots that Lee could score right away,” Mittie said. “A lot of her early career assist were to the center. But as her career has progressed, you’ve seen her be able to have more assists with guards and other teammates.
“You’ve seen her play better off the bounce. You’ve seen us run her in multiple areas of the floor. She’s a unique player that way. Most players can’t do that. Most point guards can’t do that. She’s got post-up ability. She can draw gravity.”
Sundell will arguably go down a the best distributor in program history, no matter what happens in the NCAA Tournament. But there is more to her game than just passing.
She can also make 3-pointers and score in traffic around the rim. Don’t forget, she is also formidable when it comes to grabbing rebounds.
“She has really good vision,” Lee said. “She is selfless and she wants to pass the ball and give her teammates opportunities to score. But she can also create her own shots. Her ability and her vision help set us apart from other teams.”
It came as no surprise when Sundell earned first-team All-Big 12 honors this season. She has matured into one of the best players in school history. And she has the records to prove it.
But it also came as no surprise when Sundell gave her teammates credit for her individual success.
After all, she wouldn’t have a single assist without them.
“It’s a testament to my teammates, all the work they have put in and the talent that we have on this team,” Sundell said. “All of us can go make plays and go make shots. I’m just trying to have better reads. The game has slowed down for me and that’s part of the reason why I am finding more people open. But they are the ones making shots.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.