MANHATTAN –During its celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day at Saturday’s K-State women’s basketball game against Texas Tech, K-State Athletics will present K-State’s 2022 Girls and Women in Sports IMPACT Award to former Wildcat letter winner Patricia (Drake) Potts.
Potts will be the first recipient of the award, which was established to recognize a member of the K-State Family who has directly impacted the lives of girls and women through the power of sport. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX.
In addition to the presentation of the inaugural Girls and Women in Sports IMPACT Award, K-State Athletics will also recognize Priscilla Gary for her trailblazing achievements for K-State women’s basketball.
The women’s basketball team will wear a shooting shirt with Gary’s name and number (10) during pregame warmups. The Wildcats will wear these shooting shirts a second time during the upcoming February 12 game at Kansas.
“As we look to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX and the tremendous history of our women’s basketball program, we are excited to recognize the accomplishments of Pat and Priscilla,” said K-State Deputy Athletic Director and Senior Women’s Administrator Jill Shields. “Both of these former student-athletes participated in sports at a time when gender and racial barriers existed. We are so thrilled to have them back on Saturday to recognize them for the path they helped create for our student-athletes competing today.”
Potts was a letter winner on the first varsity K-State women’s basketball team in 1968-69, helping the program to an 11-3 record under head coach Judy Akers.
Following her graduation from K-State, Potts was a teacher and coach at Chase County High School in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, from 1973 to 2008. In her second season coaching girls basketball, Potts guided Chase County to its first state tournament appearance in 1974.
In 1977, Potts mentored Chase County to the Kansas Class 2A State title with a 23-1 record, defeating Moundridge in the state championship game, 44-42.
Following the state championship in 1977, Potts led Chase County to eight additional state tournament appearances beginning in 1984.
During her time at Chase County, Potts also coached the volleyball team during its infancy. The program would eventually capture the 1978 Kansas Class 3A state title under Jane Nuessen.
After retiring from coaching in 1997, Potts came back to coach girls basketball for one season in 2010. In her honor, the court at Chase County High School is named Pat Potts Court.
Gary, a two-time letter winner for the Wildcats from 1981-83, was the first K-State women’s basketball All-American in program history at the conclusion of the 1982-83 season.
Gary led the program in scoring during her two seasons in Manhattan and tallied 1,169 career points to currently rank 28th on the K-State career scoring list. She ranks second at K-State for career scoring average at 18.3 points per game and ranks fourth in career field goal percentage (.558).
She was a two-time All-Big Eight First-Team selection, while guiding the program to a pair of Big Eight Conference titles and consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first trip to the Elite Eight in 1982.
In 1998, Gary was the first K-State women’s basketball player inducted into the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame and in 2009 her number 10 was retired.
Tickets for Saturday’s game can be purchased at kstatesports.com/tickets, calling (800) 221-CATS or in person at the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.
– kstatesports.com –