Her name is Shaila Nde, and she's an 18-year-old true freshman from Barcelona, Spain, and the 6-foot former standout in FIBA international basketball just played the first official game of her life on American soil, and she sits in the postgame interview room at Bramlage Coliseum in her white Kansas State women's basketball uniform with purple trim, and she smiles — and she smiles some more — after a season-opening 61-41 win over Wichita State on Monday night.
Kansas State head coach Collin Klein refers to the Wildcats' plight as "a thousand little cuts" after their recent heartbreak — a 27-24 overtime loss at Colorado — marked their fourth loss in five Big 12 Conference games this season.
Jeff Mittie, on the verge of his 700th career victory and in his 13th season as Kansas State head women's basketball coach, has a goal for the Wildcats as they embark upon their season opener against Wichita State on Monday.
Collin Klein has been around college football for nearly 20 years. The first-year Kansas State head coach has never experienced anything quite like this.
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