It’s safe to say that the Aztecs will have high-level guard play for years to come.

Despite recent struggles, San Diego State’s women’s basketball team has a bright spot in its young talent. Two freshman point guards have made an immediate impact since joining the roster.

Nat Martinez and Naomi Panganiban have led SDSU to the most Freshman of the Week awards in the Mountain West conference. With Martinez winning three and Panganiban winning two, they have proved themselves productive role players in the lineup.

For Martinez, success came early in the season. She took home her first MW Freshman of the Week award on Nov. 25, 2024, and won it again the following week after a strong performance in the 2024 Cancun Challenge.

After proving her worth in conference play, Martinez took home the award yet again on Jan. 13. Her three honors as the conference’s top freshman are the most for any Aztec since the award was created in the 2021-22 season.

The awards are meaningful to Martinez, but she aspires for higher heights than individual achievements.

“It’s nice to have and you know, I’m obviously super grateful for it, but at the end of the day, we want more,” she said. “And you know, just getting to the championship, and then whatever leads to that.”

Martinez has certainly contributed to achieving that goal, becoming an immediate fit in the Aztecs’ offense. Her efficient scoring not only stands out for SDSU but is also among the best in the nation. With a 69.0% true shooting percentage, she leads the Mountain West and is ninth in the NCAA.

A staggering 48.4% three-point percentage is also much needed for an offensive system that has struggled from deep in the past.

“Coming in seeing that they weren’t really consistently shooting the three ball, I knew that when I came in I was gonna have to pick up that slack,” Martinez said. “You know with Erin [Houpt] back and other shooters stepping in having that become our playing style too is major.”

On top of her efficiency, Martinez is giving the Aztecs 9.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, an impressive line for a true freshman.

As her desire to win suggests, Martinez has focused on what she needs to do for the team around her rather than on personal stats or accolades. This focus has enabled Martinez to contribute to winning basketball and achieving individual honors.

That connection is shared with fellow freshman phenom Naomi Panginiban.

“I just felt like, as a team, we were both really hot at certain games, so just finding each other and like you know getting the assist,” said Martinez. “But as a team, we just, like, play all around and pretty fast. So like that’s both of our game styles. So just playing fast to really help.”

Martinez’s drive to win and fit in on this Aztec team is what has brought her to a successful season thus far. Sustaining that drive is critical to both her own and the team’s success.

She is joined by Panginiban in the quest for such aspirations.

San Diego native Panganiban didn’t win an MW Freshman of the Week award until mid-December. However, she did win back-to-back weeks on Dec. 16 and Dec. 23, giving SDSU four of the seven awards at this time.

“I’m just grateful that I get to represent the program and the team in a positive light and just shed more light on our team and what we’re doing this year. More big things are coming,” Panganiban said.

During the first week, she averaged 21.0 points, shooting 13/36 from the field and 7/14 from three. Despite playing 64 minutes in just two games, she only turned the ball over twice.

Throughout these two weeks, she averaged 21.5 points on 60% shooting from behind the arc. Although she has managed to become a top-three scorer on the team, she didn’t necessarily think this would be the outcome.

“I don’t think you really expect it. I just came in just trying to learn from the vets and just soak up as much knowledge as I can and just try and help the team as much as I can,” Panganiban said.

Throughout this season, she averages 10.2 points per game shooting 40.6% from the field and 37.1% from the three-point line. She’s also tallied 39 assists and 18 steals throughout their first 21 games.

She is motivated largely by the team’s success last year and the wisdom the veterans have offered her early on.

“We really look up to them, just seeing them last year and how far they got. It was really encouraging. They helped us out a lot during practice, and they were very welcoming,” Panganiban said.

As someone who has the ball in their hands the majority of the time, the mental aspect of the college transition was key to her success. Once she was able to get used to such a drastic change, her game was fully unleashed.

“I think in the beginning it was a little challenging for the transition and stuff, but just adjusting to more of the mental side was big for me,” Panganiban said.

Her career high was against Bethesda on Dec. 6, where she dropped 27 points on incredibly efficient shooting. She was 83.3% from the field and 75% from behind the line. Her confidence to keep shooting the ball comes from her teammates’ support and their ability to keep her head held high.

“I think it’s really fun to play in this kind of environment where we’re just picking each other up,” Panganiban said. “So I think personally, it gives me more confidence to be able to take those kinds of shots and be more comfortable showcasing my scoring ability.”

Both Martinez and Panginiban look to build on their early success, hoping to take the team to new heights. 

“I think just more wins we want more wins,” said Martinez. “…Make it back to that championship, and then at the end of the day, bring it back home.”

“I’m just gonna try and carry the momentum as much as I can,” Panganiban said. “Hopefully make it far into the postseason. But yeah, excited for what’s to come.”

The young guards are not only helping the team get closer to those goals this season but also setting a foundation for success in the coming years of Aztec basketball.