Taurasi Named as One of 12 Nominees for Nancy Lieberman Award

Twelve players, including last season's winner, Diana Taurasi of Connecticut, are being considered for the Nancy Lieberman award, a national athletic award presented annually by the Detroit Rotary Club honoring the nation's top point guard in Division I women's basketball.

The award, which recognizes outstanding performance, is the first of its kind and is named after one of women's basketball's greatest players. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Lieberman holds the distinction of being the only athlete to receive the Wade Trophy Award twice. Past winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include Connecticut's Sue Bird (2000, 2001, 2002) and Taurasi (2003).

Jamie Carey of Texas, Cristina Ciocan of South Carolina, Erin Grant of Texas Tech, Lindsey Harding of Duke, Temeka Johnson of LSU, Kelly Mazzante of Penn State, Sara Nord of Louisville, Yolanda Paige of West Virginia, Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers, Erika Valek of Purdue, Lindsay Whalen of Minnesota, and Taurasi are among the nominees.

The criterion for the award is based on floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Lieberman during her career.

Sportswriters across the country will nominate the finalists and eventual winner. The list of the nation's top 10 point guards will be determined in the coming weeks. This list is then sent out to all the sportswriters who have until mid-March to return their final ballot. A 4,3,2,1 point system is utilized to determine the winner, who will be announced in Detroit during the NCAA Women's Final Four weekend, April 2-4, 2004.