ROSEMONT Ill. – Penn State women's basketball's Makenna Marisa earned All-Big Ten First Team by the media for the second-straight season to lead Penn State's selections among conference postseason honorees, announced Tuesday. Marisa also garnered second team by the coaches, and Leilani Kapinus garnered All-Defensive Team by both the coaches and media and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the media.
Anna Camden was named Penn State's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Marisa becomes the 12th Lady Lion to repeat as a first team selection. She leads the team in scoring (17.3 ppg) and assists (4.2 per game) in addition to 57 made three's and 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. She has recorded 12 20-point games this year.
The 10th-highest career scorer in program history (1,747), she also ranks tied for third in 30-point games (seven), fifth in career three-point field goals made (184), seventh in career free throw percentage (81.6%), eighth in career scoring average (15.6 ppg), tied for ninth in career double-digit assist games (three) and 11th in career assists (433). In the nation, she ranks 37th in career free throw percentage and 49th in career points.
The guard ranks in the nation for this season 52nd in points (503), 66th in minutes per game (35.2) and 70th in field goals made (174) and assists (121). In the Big Ten she is third in minutes per game, fifth in points, ninth in three-pointers made and assists, 12th in steals (49) and assist/turnover ratio (1.6), 17th in free throw percentage (77.2) and 21st in field goal percentage (38.0).
Kapinus becomes the fourth in program history to be selected to the All-Defensive Team (Nikki Greene-2011, Alex Bentley-2012 and 2013 and Dara Taylor-2013 and 2014). The only B1G player selected to the Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year 2023 Watch List on Jan. 24., she ranks seventh in the nation in steals (89) and first in the Big Ten, which is 15 more the No. 2 steals conference leader (Sydney Wood of Northwestern). Averaging 3.1 steals per game, 10th nationally, she has maintained that average against B1G opponents.
Kapinus is one of two players in the nation to be averaging at least 10 points, five rebounds, three steals and one block per game (Alasia Smith of Gardner-Webb). Overall, the redshirt-sophomore has racked up at least three steals in 16 games, including eight contests with 5+: nine against Cornell, seven in the wins over Purdue and Northwestern, six versus Fresno State, Rutgers and Minnesota (at home) and five against Minnesota (in Minneapolis) and Wisconsin. In addition to her steals, the guard has recorded a team-high 26 blocks, eighth-most in the Big Ten. Her block average increased in conference play with 1.1 per game (20 in 18 contests).
In addition to her defense, Kapinus leads the squad in rebounds (6.7 per game), 10th in the league, and has put up 11.1 points and 2.8 assists per game and 43.0 field goal percentage. She has scored in double-figures 21 times and pulled down at least seven rebounds in 14 contests with four double-doubles, all in Big Ten play.
An important rotation player and starter in all four seasons in the blue and white, Camden has produced 575 points, 308 rebounds, 109 three-pointers and 61 blocks in her career. This season she has hit multiple three's in six games and finished the season with eight points, two three's and one assist against Michigan State.
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.
No. 12 seed Penn State faces No. 13 Minnesota Wednesday at 2 p.m. on the Big Ten Network in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.
