MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State guard Serena Sundell was selected with the 26th overall selection and the first pick of the third round of the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm on Monday night at the WNBA’s annual draft event.
Sundell becomes the ninth player in school history to be selected during the WNBA Draft. Sundell is the 12th player overall to become a part of the league and first since Breanna Lewis in the 2018 season.
Seattle, coached by Noelle Quinn, finished fifth in the WNBA in 2024 with a regular season record of 25-15 and lost in the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs. Sundell will play professionally in the same city as her brother, Jalen, who is an offensive lineman with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
Sundell, a 2025 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Associated Press (AP) All-America honorable mention selection, led the nation with a career-high and school record for total assists (262) and paced the nation and led the Big 12 with a career-high for assists per game (7.28 apg) and was second in the Big 12 for assist-turnover ratio (2.52). She recorded a league-best nine games with 10 or more assists.
The product of Maryville, Missouri, was second on the team in scoring average with 14.1 points per game and led the Wildcats with 508 points, which was the second-highest total of her career on a .501 field goal percentage. Sundell was the only player in the nation this season and the third player since 1993-94 to register a season with 500 or more points, 250 or more assists and shoot 50.0 percent or better from the field.
She registered a career-high 31 blocked shots (0.86 bpg) and pulled in 159 rebounds (4.4 rpg), which was the second-highest rebound total in her career.
Sundell, a 2025 All-Big 12 First Team, registered a career-high eight double-doubles this season. She was the first Big 12 player since the 2022-23 season and the fifth player in program history to register a triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds against USC Upstate on Dec. 5, 2024.
With her point (508) and assist (262) totals this season, Sundell was the first player in Big 12 history to record four seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists. She joined former Wildcat Kayla Goth as the only two players in program history with 500 or more points and 200 or more assists in a season.
In her career, Sundell holds the school records for career starts (139) and games played (139). She holds the school record and ranks fourth in Big 12 history for career assists with 811 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.83 apg). She ranks sixth on the K-State career scoring list with 1,771 points. She ranks tied for seventh in school history for career blocks (104).
She was the first player in school history and the 14th in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history with 1,700 or more career points and 800 or more career assists.
K-State concluded the 2024-25 season ranked 13th in the Associated Press poll and 15th in the USA Today Coaches poll and were ranked in both polls for the entirety of the season. The Wildcats achieved the 19th NCAA Tournament bid and the fourth Sweet 16 appearance in program history. K-State registered the second-most wins in a season in school history with 28 and tied for the second-most wins in a two-season span (54).
As a team, the Wildcats established new single-season records for points (2,842), assists (763) and blocks (206). K-State led the Big 12 in scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, assists per game and assist-turnover ratio.
Kansas State’s WNBA Draft history
Year – Player – Selection – Round – Team
2025 – Serena Sundell – 26th pick – third – Seattle Storm
2017 – Breanna Lewis – 23rd pick – second – Dallas Wings
2013 – Brittany Chambers – 22nd pick – second – Los Angeles Sparks
2009 – Shalee Lehning – 25th pick – second – Atlanta Dream
2005 – Kendra Wecker – 4th pick – first – San Antonio Silver Stars
2005 – Megan Mahoney – 34th pick – third – Connecticut Sun
2004 – Nicole Ohlde – 6th pick – first – Minnesota Lynx
2000 – Shanele Stires – 56th pick – fourth – Minnesota Lynx
2000 – Olga Firsova – 13th pick – first – New York Liberty
