Last Updated on May 30, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

South Dakota State women’s basketball has one of the deepest histories in mid-major basketball, so a true legends list has to account for more than just scoring totals. The Jackrabbits have won at a remarkably high rate across multiple eras, including a Division II national title in 2003, sustained Summit League dominance in Division I, and a Sweet 16 breakthrough in 2019. A proper top five has to reflect both individual production and how much each player moved the program forward.

That is what makes SDSU harder than most schools to rank. Some players own the record book, some were the faces of championship teams, and some changed the level of national recognition the program received. The names below have the strongest overall cases as true Jackrabbit women’s basketball legends.

1. Macy Miller

  • Years with South Dakota State Jackrabbits: 2014–2019
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • South Dakota State career scoring leader
    • Summit League career scoring leader
    • Two-time Summit League Player of the Year
    • Two-time Summit League Tournament MVP
    • Led SDSU to its first Sweet 16

Macy Miller has the strongest case for the top spot because she combined historic production with the biggest Division I postseason breakthrough in program history. She finished with 2,355 career points, which remains both the SDSU and Summit League record, and she helped lead the Jackrabbits to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first-ever Sweet 16 run in 2018-19. Add in back-to-back Summit League Player of the Year awards and two tournament MVPs, and her résumé is as complete as any player SDSU has had.

2. Melissa Pater

  • Years with South Dakota State Jackrabbits: 1999–2003
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Led SDSU to the 2003 NCAA Division II national championship
    • First women’s basketball All-American in program history
    • Seventh in SDSU career scoring
    • Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame inductee

Melissa Pater belongs near the very top because she was the leading star of the team that won the 2003 NCAA Division II national title. She finished her career with 1,747 points and produced one of the great senior seasons in program history, scoring 681 points in 2002-03. She also became the first SDSU women’s basketball player to earn All-America honors, which made her a landmark figure in the program’s rise. (South Dakota State University Athletics)

3. Myah Selland

  • Years with South Dakota State Jackrabbits: 2017–2023
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Second in SDSU career scoring
    • Two-time Summit League Player of the Year
    • WBCA All-America honorable mention
    • WNIT All-Tournament MVP
    • Top-five in SDSU career assists

Myah Selland has a very strong modern-era legends case because she was elite for a long stretch and impacted winning in several different ways. She finished with 2,167 career points, ranking second in school history, and also reached 452 career assists, which placed her fifth in the SDSU record book. On top of that, she was a two-time Summit League Player of the Year, earned WBCA All-America honorable mention, and was the WNIT All-Tournament MVP when the Jackrabbits won the 2022 title. That balance of scoring, playmaking and championship value makes her one of the program’s most complete stars.

4. Shannon Schlagel

  • Years with South Dakota State Jackrabbits: 2001–2005
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Former SDSU career scoring leader
    • One of only two 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound players in program history
    • Two-time all-NCC selection
    • Division I All-Independent honoree
    • Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame inductee

Shannon Schlagel earns this spot because she bridged the end of the Division II era and the beginning of SDSU’s Division I transition while still putting up monster numbers. She finished with 1,887 points and 1,011 rebounds, making her one of only two players in school history to clear both 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. For a time she was the program’s all-time leading scorer, and her all-around production still stands out as one of the best frontcourt résumés SDSU has ever had. (South Dakota State University Athletics)

5. Jennifer Johnson

  • Years with South Dakota State Jackrabbits: 1981–1985
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • First SDSU player with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds
    • Ninth in SDSU career scoring
    • Program all-time rebounding leader among the names highlighted in the record book’s milestone section
    • Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame inductee

Jennifer Johnson has to be on this list because she was one of the foundational greats of the program. She scored 1,676 points and pulled down 1,093 rebounds, becoming the first player in school history to reach both 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. She was a three-time all-NCC selection and later went into the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame, which fits her status as one of the earliest truly dominant stars in SDSU women’s basketball history.

Sources:

South Dakota State Athletics — Jackrabbits Women’s Basketball History and Record Book 2023-24
South Dakota State Athletics — Macy Miller
South Dakota State Athletics — Miller Breaks Jacks Scoring Record
South Dakota State Athletics — Miller Selected in WNBA Third Round
South Dakota State Athletics — Season Ends in Oregon
South Dakota State Athletics — Hall of Fame — Melissa Pater
South Dakota State Athletics — 2020 Hall of Fame: Shannon (Schlagel) Huber
South Dakota State Athletics — Myah Selland
South Dakota State Athletics — Selland Recognized as Woman of the Year Top 30 Honoree
South Dakota State Athletics — Jennifer (Johnson) Kornbaum – Hall of Fame