MANHATTAN — Fresh off the school’s deepest NCAA Tournament run since 2002, Kansas State women’s basketball enters a season of uncertainty with an extremely young roster that is still trying to figure itself out in the weeks ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Jeff Mittie’s roster is almost completely different than the one that Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell and Temira Poindexter, among others, led to the Sweet 16 last season. He’s now leaning on one that features just one senior, two juniors and a whole bunch of underclassmen.
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It’s safe to say that Mittie’s patience has already been tested, and it may be a bit before the Wildcats have anything close to a finished product.
“My patience is being tested only in the sense of effort and communication; the rest will take care of itself, but those are non-negotiables,” Mittie said. “We will work through our chemistry on the floor and work as a staff in getting to know them. It’s on me to figure this thing out. I’ve gotta figure those things out as fast as I can.”
Mar 22, 2024; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Jeff Mittie yells at his team during the fourth quarter against the Portland Pilots at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Uncertainty around the Wildcats had them placed seventh in the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, with no one on the preseason team.
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Taryn Sides likely steps in as K-State’s top playmaker, as she sits fourth in the school’s history in 3-point percentage. Transfers Tess Heal (Stanford) and Izela Arenas (Louisville) will be counted on in the backcourt, while Jenessa Cotton (Duke) and Ramiya White (Virginia Tech) will contribute to the frontcourt after playing minimally at their previous schools.
True freshman Jordan Speiser also brings in plenty of hype as a five-star prospect, ranked No. 16 by ESPN out of high school.
“We’re really inconsistent now, which is to be expected,” Mittie said. “I’m still trying to figure out lineups; I’m still trying to figure out who plays well together at times. For our group right now, it’s about how much better this team can be from October, as we sit here today, to March. I think the growth rate of this team could be really big.”
Mittie kept saying there are “moments” that have excited him throughout the preseason, but he’s looking for consistency. There have yet to be extended stretches of really good play.
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He also expects a lengthier process when determining the team’s lineups, something he figures will extend into the season.
Again, it comes down to the patience required when trying to get a younger roster to come together.
“I come in here all the time and they’re in the gym, so it matters to them,” Mittie said. “Right now, they’re a little paralyzed by their overthinking, and I’ve gotta probably simplify that, and I’ve got to make sure that I’m patient with them as they grow.”
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State women’s basketball already testing Jeff Mittie patience
