Kendra Wecker, a renowned figure in the world of basketball, celebrates her 42nd birthday today, December 16, 2024. Hailing from Kansas, she has left an indelible mark on the sport at both the state and national levels.

Her Induction into Halls of Fame

In 2005, Wecker's No. 53 jersey was retired, a testament to her exceptional skills on the court. That same year, she was drafted with the No. 4 overall pick by the San Antonio Silver Stars in the WNBA Draft. Her contributions were further recognized when she was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.It took until the 2024-2025 K-State Women’s Basketball season for her career scoring record to be broken. Wecker had set the record at 2,333 points before Ayoka Lee broke it on December 3, 2024. During her career, she also set numerous records, including most career double-doubles (52), career field goals made (935), career field goals attempted (1,913), career minutes played (4,141), and most consecutive free throws made (28).According to K-State Athletics Hall of Fame, her accolades are truly remarkable. She was named Big 12 Player of the Year in 2005, a Kodak/WBCA All-American in the same year, and received the 2005 Senior CLASS award, given to the outstanding senior NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year for Women’s Basketball. She was also a Collegiate Basketball Award of Excellence finalist in 2005. Additionally, she was a two-time AP Third Team All-American (2003, 2004), a two-time USBWA All-American (2003, 2005), a three-time Naismith National Player of the Year Award finalist (2003, 2004, 2005), a three-time All-Big 12 First Team selection (2003, 2004, 2005), and a 2002 All-Big 12 Third Team selection. She was a two-time Wade Trophy and John R. Wooden Award finalist (2004, 2005), a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District (2003, 2004, 2005), and a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection (2003, 2004, 2005). She previously ranked first all-time at K-State in career scoring (2,333), career rebounding (1,087), and double-doubles (52). She also holds the records for career field goals made at K-State (935), career field goals attempted at K-State (1,913), and career minutes played at K-State (4,141). Moreover, she made the most consecutive free throws (28). She became the first Wildcat and second player in league history to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.According to KSHSAA, while at high school in Marysville, she was the first player in Kansas girls’ prep history to score 2,000 points and collect 1,000 rebounds in a career. She averaged 24 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. In high school, as a KSHSAA Hall of Fame member, she achieved remarkable feats such as being named USA Today Kansas Player of the Year, Miss Kansas Basketball, Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year, and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Player of the Year. She also averaged 28 points per game in the 2001 state tournament and won the javelin state championship in 2001 with a throw of 162 feet 11 inches.Copyright 2024 WIBW. All rights reserved.