Katya Leick

Honors & Awards

• Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Fall 2009)
• AAU All-American (2009)
• Minnesota Class 4A All-State (2009)
• Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association All-Star (2009)
• Honorable-Mention All-Minnesota (AP, 2008, 2009)
• Honorable-Mention All-Minnesota (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 2008, 2009)
• Second-Team All-Metro (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2008)
• Four-Time All-Suburban East Conference (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)

Sophomore (2010-11)
Katya Leick (pronounced KAH-tee-uh LIKE) increased her productivity as a sophomore, averaging 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, despite being limited by an ankle injury the slowed her throughout the season.

She shot just 34 percent from the field overall, but she was solid from outside, hitting 39.2 percent (20-51) of her three-point attempts. She caught fire from long range in the final seven games of the season, when she hit 8-of-15 shots from beyond the arc to close the year.

The 6-1 sophomore appeared in 30 games, including nine starts beginning with her first career start against eventual NCAA Sweet 16 participant Louisville on Dec. 20. She made her final start of the year at Colorado on Feb. 6. Six of her nine starts came against 2011 postseason teams.

In her second career start, Leick erupted for a career-high 17 points while adding eight rebounds in a win over South Florida on Dec. 30. She also set a career high with three assists and matched her career best with two steals against USF.

Her performance against USF surpassed her previous career high of 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field in 16 minutes off the bench in a win over Northern Colorado on Dec. 11. She added six rebounds against the Bears, who went on to advance to the postseason in 2011.

She added a 10-point, nine-rebound effort when she played a career-high 37 minutes in NU's win over 2011 NCAA Tournament qualifier Texas Tech on Jan. 29. She added nine points and 10 rebounds in her first career start against Louisville on Dec. 20. Against NCAA Tournament-bound Iowa State on Jan. 26, Leick grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds.

She pitched in nine points in back-to-back games against 2011 NCAA Tournament teams Texas (Feb. 15) and Kansas State (Feb. 19), when she combined to hit 7-of-12 shots from the field including all four of her three-point attempts. She added six rebounds against the Longhorns.

Leick closed her sophomore season and her Nebraska career with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting to go along with six rebounds, an assist and a steal in 27 minutes off the bench against Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament on March 8.

She did not start but played 31 minutes in a win over Kansas on Jan. 16, when she hit a crucial three-pointer in overtime and notched her first career block in the extra period. Leick finished with five points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal against KU.

She opened the season with a then-career highs of seven points and six rebounds in a win over Vermont. She also knocked down two three-pointers against the Catamounts. She had seven points and five boards against Saint Mary's. She added a career-best two steals against the Gaels.

For the season, Leick produced 15 games with five or more points, including three double-figure scoring efforts. She also had 17 games with five or more rebounds, including a pair of double-figure rebounding performances.

Freshman (2009-10)
Leick contributed early in her Husker career, appearing in 10 games as a true freshman.

She did not play in Nebraska's final two Big 12 regular-season games, the Big 12 Tournament or the NCAA Tournament after suffering an ankle sprain in practice prior to NU's home finale against Kansas on March 3.

For the season, Leick averaged 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game for the Huskers. However, those numbers don't tell the full story of Leick's abilities.

She produced 18 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals in just 58 total minutes of action. When taken over a 40-minute game, Leick's production translates to 12.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.

She played a season-best nine minutes in Nebraska's 88-67 run past No. 10 Oklahoma State on Feb. 3. She scored one point, grabbed one rebound and tied a season best by snagging one steal against the Cowgirls.

Leick saw the first Big 12 Conference action of her career in Nebraska's 89-47 win at Texas Tech on Jan. 27. She made the most of her three minutes of playing time by pumping in a season-high six points while grabbing one rebound in Nebraska's first-ever win at Lubbock, Texas.

During non-conference play, Leick scored four points against both Washington State and Idaho State, while pulling down five rebounds against South Dakota on Dec. 3.

Leick has grabbed at least one rebound in nine of her first 10 career games, and produced her first career steal in Nebraska's win over Idaho State on Nov. 19. She added her first career assist in NU's run past Albany on Dec. 30, and added an assist and two points at the free throw line in a Husker win at Vermont on Jan. 4.

High School
A Class 4A All-Minnesota pick as a senior, Leick averaged 22 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game for Park High School in Cottage Grove, Minn.

A 2009 AAU All-American, Leick also earned a spot on the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Series held April 24-25 at Macalester College and Edina High School. Her performance in the All-Star games earned her recognition as the St. Paul Pioneer Press Athlete of the Week on April 28. She was also a McDonald's High School All-America nominee.

As a junior, Leick claimed honorable-mention All-Minnesota honors from the Associated Press, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Minnesota High School Coaches Association in 2007-08. She averaged 14.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game for Coach Stephanie Tokinen and the Wolfpack. Leick helped Park to a 25-3 record and its second straight Suburban East Conference title.

A strong all-around athlete, Leick also earned four letters as a volleyball player and one in track and field. She also played AAU basketball for the Minnesota N.C. Heat for Coach Paul Hill. The Heat were six-time AAU state champions, while earning runner-up honors at Junior AAU Nationals and a third-place finish at 15-Under AAU Nationals.  

Personal
The daughter of Scott and Malia Leick, Katya was born in Minneapolis, Minn., on March 17, 1991. Katya has two younger sisters, Marissa and Kierra. Katya is majoring in communciation studies at Nebraska and earned a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in the fall of 2009.

She chose Nebraska over UNLV, Rhode Island, Drake, Boston College, South Dakota State and Creighton.

Five Facts About Katya

1. Katya's full name is Katarina, but she prefers Katya.
2. She loves to dance.
3. Katya's favorite color is blue, but she still chose to play for the Big Red.
4. Katya loves steak and potatoes.
5. Her favorite movie is "Finding Nemo."

Leick's Career Statistics

 

Year

G-GS

FG-FGA

Pct.

3P-3PA

Pct.

FT-FTA

Pct.

TRB-Avg.

PF-D

A

TO

Blk

ST

Pts-Avg.

2009-10 10-0 4-18 .222 0-4 .000 10-12 .833 14-1.4 8-0 2 9 0 2 18-1.8 2010-11 30-9 55-162 .340 20-51 .392 24-39 .615 136-4.5 55-0 34 53 1 17 154-5.1

Career

40-9

59-180

.328

20-55

.364

34-51

.667

150-3.8

63-0

36

62

1

19

172-4.3