Nobody outside the women’s basketball program expected freshman Allazia Blockton to blossom as quickly as she did. The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and her 18.3 points per game were a blessing for Marquette and its high-paced offense, which ranked 15th in the nation at 77.4 points per game.
Unfortunately, the team’s inexperience also resulted in a colossal 78.3 points allowed per game, which ranked 339th of 344 Division I teams. Overall, the team improved by five wins – all coming in conference play – from the previous year and is not expected to lose any scholarship players.
Three Wire Sports staffers rated the regular players and head coach Carolyn Kieger. These cumulative grades are based on a plus/minus scale.
Allazia Blockton (A+): Everybody thought Allazia Blockton would be an impact player, but nobody could have anticipated what happened this season. Having broken the BIG EAST freshman scoring record, Blockton has established herself as the centerpiece of Marquette’s women’s basketball for years to come. She’s a ruthlessly physical scorer, an adept rebounder and the type of player that programs are built on. – Andrew Goldstein
Natisha Hiedeman (A-): Hiedeman was quite the complement to Blockton as the team’s starting shooting guard. She led the team in minutes played and was second to her freshman compatriot in points per game with 13.7. Her speed and tenacity as the off-guard in Marquette’s up-tempo offense should allow her to develop and thrive for the next three years. – Dan Reiner
Erika Davenport (B+): Davenport split time with Shantelle Valentine as the 5th starter and she produced quite a bit more. She shot a team-high 57 percent from the field and finished the season averaging 6.8 rebounds per game, second on the team. She’ll only improve next season on those marks, and likely will see more than 11 starts. – Peter Fiorentino
McKayla Yentz (A-): It is a shame that the NCAA does not keep track of offensive charges drawn, because there is a good possibility that Yentz would lead the country in them. During Marquette’s five-game win streak, she would usually draw at least two charges per game. Add up her drawn charges, tough rebounds and sheer magnitude of improvement over the last year and you get a leader with a high grade. – Andrew Goldstein
Amani Wilborn (B+) An otherwise average season was highlighted by a few flares of brilliance by Wilborn. She had 17 points and four steals at St. John’s and nearly had her first collegiate double-double against Georgetown with a career-high eight rebounds and 10 points. Her best game came against Providence, when she finished with a career-high nine assists, 12 points and seven rebounds. – Peter Fiorentino
Danielle King (B+): Like her men’s basketball counterpart Traci Carter, King was thrown in immediately as starting point guard as a freshman. Standing at just 5-foot-5, King didn’t let opponents take advantage of her size. She played consistently enough to maintain her starting role and averaged 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. If anything, it’d be nice to see her control the offense more often next year and have that assist number increase. – Dan Reiner
Shantelle Valentine (B-): This grade may be a bit generous. Valentine saw a significant increase in playing time this year, playing an extra seven minutes per game (242 minute increase total). She increased her points per game from 2.5 to 4.7 per game. Even though she’s the tallest player on the team by two inches, she only increased her rebounding from 3.4 to 4.7 per game, which was fourth on the team. – Peter Fiorentino
Olivia Moskari (D+): The Finnish freshman had a rough go in her first experience with American ball. Touted as a shooter, she shot just 21.6 percent (11-for-51) from three-point range. She saw action in 20 contests and averaged nine minutes in those games, but she scored just 1.7 points per game. Any improvement as an outside threat would drastically help a team that likes to drive the lane. – Dan Reiner
Carolyn Kieger (A): Before the season, most people saw Marquette as a near-automatic victory on at least 15 opposing schedules. Considering those expectations, what Carolyn Kieger did this year was miraculous. She guided the youngest team in the country to a near-.500 record, and did it while implementing a run-and-gun style that was ridiculously fun to watch. Kudos are in order for Marquette’s second-year coach. – Andrew Goldstein