Serena Sundell has carved out a remarkable legacy on the basketball court at Kansas State. Yet behind her record-breaking career stand two equally impressive figures: her parents, Bob and Korena Sundell. Hailing from Maryville, Missouri, this duo not only raised a sports prodigy but also left their own marks in collegiate athletics. Here’s everything you need to know about the parents of the young star.
All You Need to Know About Serena Sundell’s Parents
Bob and Korena Sundell are no strangers to sports stardom. Bob starred at Northwest Missouri State, excelling in basketball and track. He earned three All-MIAA selections in College Basketball and set school records in the high jump.
His achievements landed him in both the Northwest Missouri State Athletic Hall of Fame and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Hall of Fame. Korena, meanwhile, took her talents to Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T), where she played basketball with a lot of potential. After their marriage, they gave birth to a family full of sports stars.
Serena’s older brother, Jalen, became a standout offensive lineman at North Dakota State. He now suits up for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. Serena, of course, rewrote the record books at Kansas State. She holds school records for career starts and games played, both at 139.
She’s also the first Big 12 player with 1,700 points and 800 assists, a feat only 13 other NCAA Division I women’s basketball players have matched since 1981. Her stat line doesn’t stop there, she’s the first Wildcat with 1,500 points, 800 assists, and 100 blocks.
The Sundell family’s competitive blood shines through her. Take the time Kansas State faced North Dakota State’s women’s team. Serena dropped eight points in a 78-52 win. Afterward, Bob revealed his split loyalties with a grin.
“I see my dad after the game, and he was wearing a quarter zip K-State pullover. He pulls it to the side and was wearing a Bison shirt underneath,” Serena recalled. Jalen, despite his own accolades as NDSU’s starting center, downplays his skills.
“It’s always been competitive in our family. I tell people all the time, I’m the worst athlete in our family which is a truthful statement,” he said. Bob credits the family’s talent to Korena’s genes, joking, “They probably have pretty good genetics, more from their mom than their dad.”
Serena’s path to Kansas State wasn’t a given. North Dakota State’s women’s coach, Jory Collins, made a hard push to keep her in Fargo alongside Jalen. She received dozens of letters and 13 scholarship offers, but only one was handwritten, from Collins.
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Bob still keeps it. “NDSU women’s basketball would be our second favorite college team right now,” he said. Serena weighed the idea of joining her brother. Her mom pushed for it, too, imagining the ease of one trip to watch both kids. But Serena chose Manhattan, prioritizing her own journey.
That decision paid off. She graduated in May 2024 with a degree in organizational management. Now, she’s tackling a master’s in business administration while adding to her on-court legacy. Her parents, once skeptical, are now her biggest supporters.
They started a travel basketball team when Jalen was eight. Since then, they’ve logged countless miles to watch their kids play live.
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