20 point guards named to watch list for 2022 Nancy Lieberman Award

Springfield, Mass. (Oct. 25, 2021) — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today the 20 watch list candidates for the 2022 Nancy Lieberman Award. Now in its 23rd year, the award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman.

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“The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to honor and celebrate both men and women at all levels of the game,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The individuals being recognized this week on the Women’s Starting Five watch lists have worked extremely hard to hone their craft and shining examples of why the future is so bright for our game. We look forward to evaluating this year’s top point guards with Nancy Lieberman, a Hall of Famer who helped pave the way for today’s female athletes.”

College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Nancy Liberman Point Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March the five finalists will be presented to Ms. Lieberman and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected. 

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The winner of the 2022 Nancy Lieberman Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.

Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include Paige Bueckers, UConn (2021), Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (2018-20), Kelsey Plum, Washington (2017), Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut (2015-16), 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).

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For more information on the 2022 Nancy Lieberman Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #LiebermanAward on Twitter and Instagram.

Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, October 29.

2022 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates* 

*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2021-2022 season*