UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Makenna Marisa was tabbed All-Big Ten first team by the coaches and media to lead Penn State's selections among conference postseason honorees, announced on Tuesday. Leilani Kapinus was picked by the coaches for the All-Freshman team.
Graduate student Kelly Jekot was named Penn State's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Makenna Marisa – All-Big Ten First Team (coaches, media)
Junior guard Makenna Marisa was a consensus All-Big Ten First Team pick by the coaches and media. She is Penn State's 34th first team selection and 66th All-Big Ten selection in program history. She is Penn State's first player to receive first team accolades since Kamaria McDaniel in 2020.
She has enjoyed a stellar junior campaign, ranking second in the Big Ten and eighth in the country, averaging 22.5 points per game. Her 22.5 points per game is the third-highest average by a Lady Lion in a single season.
The Dawn Staley Award Watch List member has scored double-digit points in all 28 games this season, one of only two Division I players to do that, while notching 18 20-point games, 13 25-point games and five 30-point performances.
Her 30-point games this season include a career-high 33 at Duquesne (12/18), 32 vs. Iowa (1/25) and at Michigan State (2/21), 31 at Purdue (2/9) and a 30-point triple-double vs. Delaware State (11/16). She also had a double-double vs. Illinois (1/16) with 25 points and 10 assists.
She has four 20-point halves, coming against Delaware State (20, 1st), Maryland (24, 2nd), Purdue (25, 2nd) and Minnesota (20, 2nd).
Marisa's 630 total points this season rank fifth in the country and ninth in a season at Penn State. In conference games, including six against ranked opponents, Marisa averaged 23.0 points per game, good for second in the conference. She also averaged 19.9 in seven games against ranked foes, also second in the Big Ten.
She sits 10th in the country in field goals made (219) and 11th in free throws made (133), while holding seventh in the Big Ten in assists per game (4.2) and total assists (118).
The CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree reached the 1,000-point mark for her career against Iowa on January 25. Marisa has 1,229 career points, ranking 27th all-time at Penn State.
Leilani Kapinus – All-Freshman Team (coaches)
Freshman guard Leilani Kapinus has made a major impact on both ends of the floor in her first season in Happy Valley. She is Penn State's 13th All-Freshman selection.
A standout on the defensive end, Kapinus is one of eight Division I players, and the only Big Ten player, with 30+ blocks and 55+ steals this season.
Kapinus holds second in the Big Ten in total blocks (32) and total steals (56). She paces Big Ten freshmen in steals and holds second among league rookies in blocks, ranking 13th among Division I freshmen in both categories.
The Wisconsin native ranks second on the team averaging 9.4 points per game. Her impact on the offensive end grew as the season went on as she averaged 10.6 points per contest against Big Ten opponents and 10.9 points per game against ranked foes.
Kapinus ranks third among Big Ten freshmen in points per game and second among Big Ten rookies with 5.4 rebounds per game.
Kapinus scored a career-high 23 points at Rutgers and recorded her first career double-double with 12 rebounds. It was PSU's first freshman double-double since 2018. She added another double-double at Ohio State with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
The freshman also had 20 points vs. Youngstown State, 17 vs. No. 11 Michigan and 15 in each game vs. Northwestern.
Kelly Jekot – Sportsmanship Award
Graduate student Kelly Jekot was tabbed as Penn State's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the second-straight season.
Jekot returned to Penn State for the 2021-22 season after suffering a season-ending injury last season. She played in 27 games, making 20 starts, and playing 18.8 minutes per game.
The Pennsylvania native averaged 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. She scored a season-best 16 points against Maryland (1/30), hitting four three-pointers. Jekot poured in 13 points in a win over Nebraska (2/17), going four-of-five from three. She added an 11-point performance in the season-opener vs. LIU. Jekot matched a career high with six assists in a win at Northwestern (1/20).
The sportsmanship award is given to student-athletes from each Big Ten school who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. All recipients must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
Up Next
The Lady Lions open the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday with a first round matchup against Rutgers. The No. 12 seed Penn State and No. 13 seed Scarlet Knights are set for a 2 p.m. tipoff on Big Ten Network.
Makenna Marisa