Basketball Hall of Fame to Announce Five Finalists in Early March
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the ten candidates for the 2016 Nancy Lieberman Award. Now in its sixteenth year, the award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. Candidates exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame became the host of the Nancy Lieberman Award two years ago after the Rotary Club of Detroit managed it for several years.
“The women on this list exhibit many of the attributes that made Nancy Lieberman such an extraordinary player and team leader,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “With the annual Nancy Lieberman Award, the Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to recognize the phenomenal point guards who continue to advance women’s college basketball and inspire the next generation of athletes.”
The Selection Committee for the Nancy Lieberman Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. The list will be narrowed down to five finalists in early March. The Lieberman Award winner will be announced during the WBCA Award Show in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Women’s Final Four.
“I am very honored to have my name associated with this award and the best point guards in college basketball,” Lieberman said. “Over the years we have honored many deserving floor generals and I’m anxious to see who comes out on top this season!”
Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut (2015), Odyssey Sims, Baylor (2014), Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (2012-13), Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga (2011), Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State (2010), Renee Montgomery, Connecticut (2009), Kristi Toliver, Maryland (2008), Lindsey Harding, Duke (2007), Ivory Latta, North Carolina (2006), Temeka Johnson, LSU (2005),Diana Taurasi, Connecticut (2003-04), and Sue Bird, Connecticut (2000-02).
For more information on the 2016 Nancy Lieberman Award, log onto www.pointguard.org.
2016 Nancy Lieberman Award Finalists
Kelsey Minato, Army
Niya Johnson, Baylor
Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut
Jessica January, DePaul
April Robinson, Duquesne
Brene Moseley, Maryland
Lindsay Allen, Notre Dame
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
Jasmine Nwajel, Wagner
Kelsey Plum, Washington
* Players can play their way onto and off of the Watch List and the Final 5*
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
For more information:
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