Jan. 8—FORESTBURG, S.D. — The playing journey for former Sanborn Central/Woonsocket girls basketball standout Myah Selland came full circle.
In similar vein to all her other accomplishments, she’ll be remembered for generations to come.
Selland had her Blackhawks jersey No. 44 formally retired by the program on Tuesday night prior to SCW’s varsity doubleheader against Bridgewater-Emery inside the walls which made her a household name in both communities, having been told by former head coach Rob Baruth the news during a recent visit to the school.
While she’s had the opportunity to visit several states, multiple countries and several continents during her playing journey, nothing can replace the memories of being home surrounded by family and friends.
“It’s fun coming home,” Selland said, “Seeing familiar faces and just kind of remembering where it all started and the dreams that I had here as a young player. Looking back on it, I got to live a lot of those dreams so it’s really fun to be back.”
The pride of nearby Letcher, Selland first came to the Blackhawks program during the first year both Sanborn Central and Woonsocket competed as a cooperative in girls basketball. Making the varsity team as an eighth-grader, Selland put together one of the state’s all-time prep careers.
Helping the Blackhawks to five state tournaments and a pair of runner-up finishes, Selland finished her career as the program’s all-time leader in points (2,219), rebounds (964) and assists (532). She also set seven single-season Blackhawks records and holds the single-game scoring (40 points) and assist (11) records.
The 2017 South Dakota girls basketball Gatorade player of the year and Miss Basketball 2017, Selland helped usher in the current era at SCW through her work on the court along with countless hours spent with the younger kids who looked up to her, becoming an exemplary member of the program and bringing the community together.
“Her work ethic is unmatched,” Baruth said, who coached Selland during her five-year varsity career. “It was 6 to 7 days a week in the morning, putting up shots, working on her game constantly because she was competitive. She wanted to win and the younger girls saw her and they wanted to be successful.”
Selland continued her playing career at South Dakota State, being twice named the Summit League player of the year and finishing as the No. 2 all-time scorer in program history, joining Mitchell product Macy Miller as the only Jackrabbits to record at least 2,000 career points with the team. She signed as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Lynx in 2023, appearing in two WNBA preseason games.
Following the Lynx, Selland, 26, played professionally overseas in Spain for Ferrol basketball, competing in the Spanish women’s basketball league and getting to visit several European countries such as France and Italy. Most recently, she also played for the Gold Coast Rollers over the summer in Australia’s NBL1 league.
While getting the chance to live in different parts of the world was an opportunity itself, Selland focused on building strong relationships with those around her, a testament to how women’s basketball has taken off and grown, along with women’s athletics in general.
“It was pretty satisfying to get that opportunity with the Lynx and to play overseas,” Selland said. “The relationships, the experiences and the opportunities it’s brought me has been pretty incredible. … It speaks to kind of where women’s basketball is right now and the talent we have, and I was really lucky to be a part of it.”
“We’re seeing an explosion of female sports and where these girls can really go,” Baruth added. “It takes special people like Myah for these kids to get the opportunities as we’re seeing that, they’re like, ‘We can do that too.'”
Now pursuing other ventures being back in South Dakota, Selland’s message to those who want to follow their dreams falls in line with what made her stand out as a member of the Sanborn Central/Woonsocket girls basketball team.
“Find that thing you love and you’re passionate about,” Selland said. “Don’t be afraid to put the time and the energy and the effort into it, and it can take you to some really cool places.”
