Kansas State Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan. — For the 10th time in the last 12 seasons, Kansas State women’s basketball is headed to the postseason.
The Wildcats accepted a bid to the 2026 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament and will host Georgia Tech in the first round at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Bramlage Coliseum. K-State was an at-large selection and earned a No. 2 seed in its quadrant.
This will be K-State’s first appearance in the WBIT.
Tickets for Thursday’s game are available now at kstatesports.com/tickets, by calling (800) 221-CATS or by visiting the K-State Athletic Ticket Office at Bramlage Coliseum. Women’s basketball chairback season ticket holders have until noon Monday to reserve their seats.
Ticket prices are $18 for chairback seats, $15 for adult general admission, including Cat Cushion seats, and $10 for youth and K-State students. All prices are subject to sales tax. Parking is $10 in advance and $12 at the gate.
With the bid, Kansas State is one of 11 Big 12 schools to earn a women’s basketball postseason berth in 2025-26, including seven NCAA Tournament teams and four WBIT selections.
Other seeded teams in K-State’s portion of the bracket are No. 1 North Dakota State, No. 3 California and No. 4 Columbia.
K-State is 18-17 overall and finished 8-10 in Big 12 play. Georgia Tech enters 14-18 overall and also went 8-10 in ACC play.
The Wildcats and Yellow Jackets will meet for the third time and for the first time since Nov. 17, 2002. It will be the first postseason meeting between the programs.
Georgia Tech is led by first-year head coach Karen Blair. Sophomore guard Talayah Walker leads the Yellow Jackets after earning All-ACC first-team honors from the media and second-team recognition from coaches. Walker averaged 19.3 points per game in conference play and 17.0 points overall.
Senior guard Brianna Turnage led the ACC in rebounding during league play at 12.5 rebounds per game and also topped the conference in defensive rebounds at 10.7 per game. She was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team by both the media and coaches.
Kansas State has been led this season by All-Big 12 third-team selection Tess Heal, All-Big 12 honorable mention pick Taryn Sides, junior forward Nastja Claessens and Big 12 All-Tournament Team selection Jordan Speiser.
Heal averaged 15.5 points per game in Big 12 play while shooting 53.1% from the field, 40.9% from 3-point range and 87.5% from the free-throw line. Overall, she is averaging 10.8 points per game and shooting a team-best 86.3% at the line.
Sides leads K-State in scoring at 12.4 points per game while shooting 42.5% from the floor, 39.2% from 3-point range and 84.3% from the line. She also averages 3.7 assists per game and leads the Wildcats with 2.23 made 3-pointers per contest.
Claessens is averaging 12.0 points per game on a team-best 51.7% shooting, including 36.0% from beyond the arc, while also adding 5.0 rebounds, 48 steals and 14 blocked shots.
Speiser is averaging 10.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 35.2% from 3-point range. Her 69 made 3-pointers rank among the best freshman totals in program history.
The winner of Thursday’s game will face the winner of California and Santa Clara in the second round on Sunday, March 22, at a site and time to be determined.