SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today the 20 watch list candidates for the 2020 Nancy Lieberman Award. DePaul’s Kelly Campbell and St. John’s Tiana England were among those recognized. Now in its twenty-first year, the award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.
Campbell, the lone active BIG EAST player with a triple-double to her credit, is one the top all-around players in the league. Over 18 BIG EAST games last season, the senior guard posted the top assist-turnover ratio (4.5), while listing second in assists (4.7) and sixth in rebounding (8.2). She finished No. 5 in the nation in assist-turnover ratio and was voted onto the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team. Campbell and England were both Preseason All-BIG EAST Team selections.
Last season, England led the BIG EAST in assists with 5.7 per game. She reached the 10-dime mark on three different occasions last year and ranked inside the top-20 nationally in assists per game at the conclusion of the season. After dishing out 176 assists during the 2018-19 campaign, England cracked the top-15 on the St. John's all-time assist list with 347 despite having played just two seasons in Queens. England is just six assists away from entering the top-10. In addition to her facilitating abilities, the redshirt junior paced the team in scoring during conference play with 12.0 points per game. England reached double figures in 16 contests and eclipsed the 20-point mark twice.
“The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to 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 students we are recognizing this week on the Women’s Starting Five watch lists are tremendous athletes who deserve to be applauded. We look forward to evaluating this year’s candidates with Nancy Lieberman, who paved the way for today’s female 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. New to the award this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2020 Lieberman Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Lieberman and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.
The winner of the 2020 Lieberman Award will be presented at
The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, 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
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (2018-19),
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).
For more information on the 2020 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 25.
2020 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates*
| Te'a Cooper |
Baylor |
| Crystal Dangerfield |
Connecticut |
| Kelly Campbell |
DePaul |
| Nicole Cardano-Hillary |
George Mason |
| Ali Patberg |
Indiana |
| Lauren Dickerson |
Miami-Ohio |
| Cierra Hooks |
Ohio |
| Sabrina Ionescu |
Oregon |
| Destiny Slocum |
Oregon State |
| Stella Johnson |
Rider |
| Tyasha Harris |
South Carolina |
| Tiana England |
St. John's |
| Sug Sutton |
Texas |
| Chennedy Carter |
Texas A&M |
| Miyah Barnes |
UAB |
| Kay Kay Wright |
UCF |
| Japreece Dean |
UCLA |
| Dru Gylten |
Utah |
| Taja Cole |
Virginia Tech |
| Chloe Wanink |
Wofford |
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2019-20 season