In a surprising move, Imani Lester, a forward for Kansas State Women’s Basketball, has entered the transfer portal and announced she will be joining Rutgers for the upcoming season. The 6’4” forward, who has two years of eligibility remaining, will now bring her talents to the Scarlet Knights after spending two seasons with the Wildcats.
Lester, a versatile and competitive player from North Raleigh Christian Academy in North Carolina, made a significant impact during her time at Kansas State. In her sophomore season, she helped the Wildcats achieve a 28-8 overall record and secure a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Although not known for her scoring, Lester’s defensive prowess—especially as a rim protector—was invaluable. She posted 19 blocks and 18 steals during her sophomore year, marking a significant improvement from her freshman totals of 13 blocks and 7 steals.
Kansas State head coach Jeff Mittie expressed his understanding of Lester’s decision, stating, “Imani has been a valuable asset to our program, and we respect her decision to explore new opportunities. She has been an excellent teammate and contributed in so many ways—especially defensively. We wish her nothing but the best moving forward.”
Lester’s offensive contributions, while not prolific, showed steady improvement. During her redshirt freshman year, she averaged 1.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. By her sophomore season, she averaged 2.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while playing around 11 minutes per game in 34 contests. Notably, her field goal percentage remained strong, shooting 49.2% from the floor, though she struggled at the free-throw line with a 50% conversion rate.
A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Lester was ranked No. 57 overall and the eighth-best post player by ESPNW HoopGurlz. At Kansas State, she has played an important role on a team that has consistently competed at a high level in the Big 12.
Her departure leaves a hole in the Wildcats’ frontcourt as they will now look to fill the gap left by Lester’s exit. With the recent graduations of key players, including Ayoka Lee and Peyton Williams, Kansas State will turn to the rest of their returning players and new recruits to bolster their lineup heading into next season.
