Ali Patberg Named To Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watch List
10/21/2019 1:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Indiana redshirt junior guard Ali Patberg has been named one of 20 candidates for the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list.
Patberg returns as the program's leader in assists last season with 4.8 per game while also returning as the team's leading scorer from the 2018-19 season. She played and started in 31 games in her first season at IU, as she helped guide Indiana to a NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance in Eugene that featured a win over Texas. The All-Big Ten Second Team selection averaged 15.8 points per game as she scored in double figures 24 times.
The Columbus, Ind. native also averaged 5.0 rebounds per game as she also shot 80.4 percent from the free throw line. She set a career-high 13 assists against Missouri State last season and dished out multiple assists in 29 games. Patberg is the only representative from the Big Ten Conference.
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.
New to this year's program is the Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies. Starting on Friday, October 25, fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite players in each of the three rounds. Please help promote the fan voting to your fan base through your social media channels. The top 10 player selections from the fan vote will get an additional vote towards making the next round.
This list will be narrowed down to 10 in mid-February and then 5 finalists will be selected in March that will be presented to Nancy Lieberman and the selection committee. New to this program, the winner of this award will be presented at the 6th annual ESPN College Basketball Awards Show live from Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10th.
2020 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 2019-20 season
About Nancy Lieberman:
Playing hoops on the rough-and-tumble Harlem courts, Brooklyn-bred Nancy Lieberman learned to play a physical, aggressive style of basketball unlike other women of her time. As a 5'10" point guard, Lieberman was taller than many of the guards of her era, and her ability to drive to the hoop, dish out assists, and grab hard-fought rebounds served her well during her stellar career. Lieberman led Old Dominion University to back-to-back AIAW national championships in 1979 and 1980. In 1986, she signed to be the first women to play in a men's professional league in the USBL with the Springfield Fame and in 1987 with the Long Island Knights. She was twice named as the Wade Trophy winner — a basketball first. As the nation's top female athlete during those two seasons, Lieberman was the two-time winner of the Broderick Cup as well. Lieberman played professionally in the Women's Professional Basketball League, Women's American Basketball Association, United States Basketball League, Women's National Basketball Association and with the Washington Generals. Earning WBL MVP honors with the Dallas Diamonds in 1981, she led the team to the 1984 WABA championship and was league MVP. In 2011, she was the first women Head Coach hired in the NBA D-League for the Dallas Mavericks affiliate the Texas Legends. In 2015, she became only the second women hired as an Assistant Coach in the NBA with the Sacramento Kinds. She was named a recipient of the 2017 Mannie Jackson Basketball's Human Spirit Award for her on-going philanthropic work across the country through her Nancy Lieberman Charities, changing the lives of underserved youth across the country. In 2018 Nancy Lieberman became the 1st Female Head Coach in a Men's Professional League with the BIG3 League for team Power. Nancy lead team Power to a 2018 Championship victory and was selected Coach of the Year, becoming the first female in history to be awarded Coach of the Year.
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Patberg returns as the program's leader in assists last season with 4.8 per game while also returning as the team's leading scorer from the 2018-19 season. She played and started in 31 games in her first season at IU, as she helped guide Indiana to a NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance in Eugene that featured a win over Texas. The All-Big Ten Second Team selection averaged 15.8 points per game as she scored in double figures 24 times.
The Columbus, Ind. native also averaged 5.0 rebounds per game as she also shot 80.4 percent from the free throw line. She set a career-high 13 assists against Missouri State last season and dished out multiple assists in 29 games. Patberg is the only representative from the Big Ten Conference.
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.
New to this year's program is the Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies. Starting on Friday, October 25, fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite players in each of the three rounds. Please help promote the fan voting to your fan base through your social media channels. The top 10 player selections from the fan vote will get an additional vote towards making the next round.
This list will be narrowed down to 10 in mid-February and then 5 finalists will be selected in March that will be presented to Nancy Lieberman and the selection committee. New to this program, the winner of this award will be presented at the 6th annual ESPN College Basketball Awards Show live from Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10th.
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 |
| Rachael Childress | UAB |
| Kornelia Wright | UCF |
| Japreece Dean | UCLA |
| Dru Gylten | Utah |
| Taja Cole | Virginia Tech |
| Chloe Wanink | Wofford |
About Nancy Lieberman:
Playing hoops on the rough-and-tumble Harlem courts, Brooklyn-bred Nancy Lieberman learned to play a physical, aggressive style of basketball unlike other women of her time. As a 5'10" point guard, Lieberman was taller than many of the guards of her era, and her ability to drive to the hoop, dish out assists, and grab hard-fought rebounds served her well during her stellar career. Lieberman led Old Dominion University to back-to-back AIAW national championships in 1979 and 1980. In 1986, she signed to be the first women to play in a men's professional league in the USBL with the Springfield Fame and in 1987 with the Long Island Knights. She was twice named as the Wade Trophy winner — a basketball first. As the nation's top female athlete during those two seasons, Lieberman was the two-time winner of the Broderick Cup as well. Lieberman played professionally in the Women's Professional Basketball League, Women's American Basketball Association, United States Basketball League, Women's National Basketball Association and with the Washington Generals. Earning WBL MVP honors with the Dallas Diamonds in 1981, she led the team to the 1984 WABA championship and was league MVP. In 2011, she was the first women Head Coach hired in the NBA D-League for the Dallas Mavericks affiliate the Texas Legends. In 2015, she became only the second women hired as an Assistant Coach in the NBA with the Sacramento Kinds. She was named a recipient of the 2017 Mannie Jackson Basketball's Human Spirit Award for her on-going philanthropic work across the country through her Nancy Lieberman Charities, changing the lives of underserved youth across the country. In 2018 Nancy Lieberman became the 1st Female Head Coach in a Men's Professional League with the BIG3 League for team Power. Nancy lead team Power to a 2018 Championship victory and was selected Coach of the Year, becoming the first female in history to be awarded Coach of the Year.
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