On Tuesday afternoon, Mississippi State University women’s basketball standout Martha Alwal was tabbed First Team All-SEC and Co-Defensive Player of the Year. 
As if that’s not enough, the junior scored 16 points on Wednesday in State’s SEC tournament opening win against Missouri to eclipse the 1,000-point total for her career. The feat makes her the 20th member to join such an illustrious group at MSU.
But in the midst of all of these accomplishments, Alwal said she simply feels honored.
“I was really overwhelmed. We play in one of the top conferences in the country, and we’re going against the best players in the nation night in and night out, and just to be recognized in that group is just crazy and amazing all at the same time,” Alwal said.
While the accolades continue to pile up for the Minnesota native, success for her came early, but it did not come overnight.  
Alwal’s journey to where she is now was partly a rough one. She first officially started playing basketball in the eighth grade. She claimed she did not like playing the sport at first and even shied away from it because she did not want to let anyone down. Basketball was not even her first love. Before basketball, Alwal had a passion for volleyball, and she also competed in track and field. It was not until she realized she was actually talented and could play at the next level that she started to enjoy basketball.
Alwal attended Worthington High School in Worthington, Minn., where she was a standout in both volleyball and basketball. According to HoopGirlz.com, Alwal was tabbed as the No. 16 center in the nation coming out of high school. That ranking is what drew then-MSU head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis up north to check out the 6’4” center.  
Being one of the nation’s top players, Alwal had many college coaches buzzing to get her into their program — including Fanning-Otis. She said Coach Fanning-Otis’s persistence made the difference in her recruiting process.
“Coach Sharon saw me play in Florida and Chicago, and she was one of the only coaches that stuck with me through everything, and I could tell that she really cared for me as a person, more than just a basketball player,” Alwal said.
When Alwal first arrived at MSU, she was a bit of a role player in her freshman season. Despite being a role player, through hard work and good play, she still managed to be named to the All-SEC Freshman Team. 
In her second season, she saw her former coach leave and new head coach Vic Schaefer step into the spotlight. She averaged 12 points and 9.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore and earned Second Team All-SEC honors. This season, she has taken her game to an even higher level, averaging 15.3 points per game and with an impressive 50.3 field-goal shooting percentage. 
She currently holds the school record for the most blocked shots with 238 with still one more season left. She is also the SEC’s active leader in double-doubles with 29.
Schaefer said whenever Alwal is on the floor, she makes her presence known.
“She impacts the game on both ends,” he said.  “She’s obviously our first option a lot offensively, and defensively she does so much to help her teammates. She’s such a tremendous player defensively.”
Besides shattering records and gaining national attention, Alwal, being goofy and outgoing, likes to laugh and have a good time. Now in her junior year, Alwal is one of the veterans on the team, and although the freshmen come to her for advice, she said she still looks to the younger players for advice as well.
 “I think it goes both ways. I think they (freshmen) learn from us (upperclassmen) as much as we learn from them, and we all feed off of each other and make each other better,” she said.
Alwal said beating Georgia last year and upsetting Vanderbilt this season have been her top moments in her college career. With one more year remaining as a Lady Bulldog, Alwal said her ultimate goal is to make the NCAA tournament with her teammates and hopefully be able to play at the next level.   
Her 21st birthday quickly approaches on March 20, and Alwal said playing in the post-season would not be a bad birthday present.
“That would be awesome,” she said.  “That would be the best present that my teammates have given me.”
So whether she shatters records, makes game winning-shots to knock off ranked opponents or just goofs off and laughs, Alwal’s legacy will have an impact at MSU.
Schaefer said Alwal’s honors she has gained this week speak volumes to the person she really is but that she may not be finished receiving awards.
“I’m proud of her,” he said. “I’m just proud of her overall development both physically as well as mentally, and still, she’s not close to her top end. Her up stride is still, in my opinion, a long way away.”