Last season Selena Lott made her presence known off the bench as a defensive player for the Marquette women’s basketball team. The sophomore guard appeared in every game except for one, posting 45 steals and leading the team with 19 blocked shots, but she only had five starts.
This season, Lott is taking the next step to becoming a formidable starter. After only starting two of Marquette’s first 14 games this season, Lott has made it into the starting lineup in 11 of the last 12 games she played.
The opportunity first came when senior guard Allazia Blockton, the team’s all-time leading scorer, missed significant time with an ankle injury Dec. 29. When Blockton returned Jan. 20, Lott remained in the starting lineup.
“It’s definitely an accomplishment,” Lott said. “When (Blockton) stepped out, I knew I had to bring more.”
“Selena is a competitor. You can tell she wants to win, and that’s why she makes big plays for us,” head coach Carolyn Kieger said.
Lott has gone from averaging 19.6 minutes per game last season to 24.5 minutes per game this season.
For Marquette, Lott’s specialty is defense, but this year she has proven she can be effective on offense as well. After shooting 27 percent from the 3-point line in her freshman season, she’s now shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc. She is also shooting 51 percent from the field.
“She’s always been an elite defender, but I think she’s coming in on her offense,” Kieger said. “She’s shooting the ball well, and she’s making great vision looks and great reads.”
Lott is fourth on the team with 70 3-pointers attempted so far this season.
Lott said the coaching staff has played a huge role in her mental and physical development.
“Mainly my shooting coach and my head coach (helped me the most),” Lott said. “(Kieger) has definitely helped with the mental side (of the game).”
Lott said one of the most important things her coaches and teammates have taught her is how to play more from the heart. She also noted that playing at the Division I level has taught her to hold others and herself accountable.
Over Lott’s last 11 games as a starter, she is averaging nearly nine points per game, compared to her average of 2.9 points in 2017-’18.
“I think she has made one of the biggest strides (out of any player) in the conference so far,” Kieger said.
Kieger said Lott has improved the most this season with her aggressiveness on the court. Lott said she wants to improve her ball handling the most.
While Lott has flashed more of her offensive potential this year, it has not taken away from her defensive abilities.
With 48 steals so far this year, Lott has already surpassed her total from last season, and she is second on the team, only trailing senior Natisha Hiedeman, who has 53.
Lott is in a three-way tie for the most blocks on the team this season with 12.
The Golden Eagles have just two games left in the regular season before they head off to Chicago to participate in the BIG EAST Tournament.
“We’ve got to give it all we’ve got,” Lott said.
