Penn State women’s basketball player Makenna Marisa has joined an exclusive club.
In the third quarter of Penn State’s 76-65 win at Northwestern Thursday night, Marisa became the seventh player in program history to crack 2,000 points.
With that layup, Makenna Marisa has hit 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ career points!
Hard fought, well earned, and forever etched in Lady Lion history. Congratulations, @makenna_marisa!#LionMentality pic.twitter.com/e1iWaD7SY6
— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) January 26, 2024
Marisa— who’s grandfather, Rudy, was part of Penn State men’s basketball’s only Final Four team in 1954– has been part of the program for more than four seasons.
An in-state product from Peters Township High School in the Pittsburgh area, Marisa came to Penn State after leading Peters to an undefeated season and state championship. For four seasons, Marisa started on losing teams, averaging double figures in scoring for three of those years. Her best season took place in 2021-22, when she finished with a 22.2 points per game average. Now, she’s part of a winning team.
Penn State is now Northwestern 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten. The team’s currently projected to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
Marisa ended the night with 20 points— 15 coming in the second half.
Nittany Sports Now spoke with Marisa in December 2021. She told NSN that her goal was to one day play in the WNBA, but her focus at the time was helping Penn State to turn around its program.
She’s well on her way to being a big part of making that happen.
“(Going to the WNBA has) been a dream of mine for a long time,” she said. “I see myself wanting to do that as of now. I don’t know if things will change. That’s my goal right now. At the end of my career, I don’t know what I’m going to decide. But as of now, that’s what I want to do, and that’s where my head’s at.”
