Myah Selland’s Spanish basketball career is off to a 4-2 start, and the Jackrabbit great is making her contribution as a starter averaging 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in her 20.5 minutes per game.
Selland signed with Baxi Ferrol, one of the 16 teams in the Endesa League in Spain, in May 2023. She arrived in Ferrol, Spain on Aug. 15.
The regular season runs from Sept. 23 to April 20, with postseason play determined by the outcome of the regular season. Regular season will consist of 30 games which take place every Saturday. They will have a home and away game against every team in the league.
“Our home crowds are very good,” Selland said. “Fans are very engaged in the game and they have bands or even noisemakers.”
Selland had to learn Spanish to help her communicate with and understand her coach and teammates. She attends a Spanish class every Monday and Wednesday. If need be, her teammates help translate for her.
“I know basketball terms,” Selland said. “I could not speak them to you. But when he says it, I’m like, ok I know that.”
On her off days, Selland fills her time by going on walks on the beach in Galicia, Spain, attending local festivals, and even taking surfing lessons with her whole team. She spends a lot of her time with her roommate and teammate, Jessica Féquière.
The hardest adjustment for Selland has been the different time zones, making it difficult to communicate with family and friends back home. Spain is seven hours ahead of Brookings. But overall, she is enjoying it.
“I’m liking it a lot more than I thought,” Selland said. “The travel is very fulfilling. I love getting to see different parts of Spain on our away trips.”
When Selland is not traveling or at the gym, she spends her time working on projects for Her Turn, a nonprofit organization she started with her former teammate, Tori Nelson. Nelson is a senior for the Jackrabbits.
Selland was a role model for Nelson coming in as a freshman, but it quickly turned into a friendship. Eventually they realized they both had interest in women in sports and turned it into a partnership as well.
Her Turn provides scholarships to girls in the Brookings community to attend SDSU athletic camps that they wouldn’t have been able to attend otherwise, according to the Her Turn website.
“I’m so grateful to have had Myah as a teammate and close friend over the past four years,” Nelson said. “I cherish the opportunity to make a difference in our community as co-founders.”
They founded Her Turn in spring 2022 working out of Brookings. Their first two summers they awarded 27 scholarships to young girls in the Brookings community. But now with Selland overseas, her workload looks a little different.
Nelson handles the in-person work, while Selland handles the behind-the-scenes projects that most people don’t see. Recently she has been working on fundraising campaigns, impact reports and growing their website. Since she is overseas, their team meetings take place over Zoom and Facetimes.
“Myah is continuing to live out ‘Her-Turn’ professionally which not only inspires young girls in our community but also provides our organization with a unique perspective of girls in sports,” Nelson said.
Selland played for the Jackrabbit Women’s Basketball team for six years, ending her career as the second all-time leading scorer in Jackrabbit history with 2,167 points.
She was named Summit League Player of the Year in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, along with many other awards and honors. Most recently she was named as a Top 30 honoree for the NCAA Woman of the Year.
“Myah had an immeasurable impact on our women’s basketball program,” said Carissa Thielbar, associate head coach of the Jackrabbit Women’s Basketball team. “On the court she played a huge role in helping us excel to new program milestones, including an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance and a WNIT Championship. She was a leader both on and off the court who brought people together with her drive, team first attitude and love for her teammates. She is a true example of what it means to be a Jackrabbit and will have a lasting impact on our program and community.”
After the Jacks lost to Virginia Tech in the second round of the NCAA tournament last spring, Selland hoped to hear her name called in the WNBA draft in April. She went undrafted, but she was signed on to the Minnesota Lynx training camp.
Selland grew up watching the Lynx, and considered it “surreal” to be a part of that organization. She was released in May after the first two preseason games, but was grateful for the experience.
“To be inside of, and see how one of my favorite organizations was run was really cool,” Selland said. “I was very impressed with the people they have as well as the facilities. All of it is just at a very high level.”
Selland is unsure of her plans for the future, it will depend on how the season goes for her this year. She plans to make the most out of her year in Spain.
