Ali Patberg A Top 10 Finalist For Nancy Lieberman Award
2/10/2020 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Indiana redshirt junior guard Ali Patberg has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2020 Nancy Lieberman Award announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. She is the first finalist for the award in IU women's basketball history.
Patberg has played and started in all 25 games this season and leads the way in scoring with 13.6 points per game, 5.3 assists per contest and a +2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Columbus, Ind. native is also averaging 4.7 rebounds per game and shooting 48.2 percent from the floor. She has scored in double figures 19 times this season, two times with 20 or more points and has one double-double. Patberg is also shooting 77.5 percent at the free throw line and averages 1.2 steals per game. Her preseason honors this season also included an All-Big Ten selection, Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, Ann Meyers Drysdale watch list and Naismith Trophy watch list.
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 must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.
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. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live Friday, February 14 via www.hoophallawards.com.
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, 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.
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 has played and started in all 25 games this season and leads the way in scoring with 13.6 points per game, 5.3 assists per contest and a +2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Columbus, Ind. native is also averaging 4.7 rebounds per game and shooting 48.2 percent from the floor. She has scored in double figures 19 times this season, two times with 20 or more points and has one double-double. Patberg is also shooting 77.5 percent at the free throw line and averages 1.2 steals per game. Her preseason honors this season also included an All-Big Ten selection, Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, Ann Meyers Drysdale watch list and Naismith Trophy watch list.
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 must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.
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. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live Friday, February 14 via www.hoophallawards.com.
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, 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.
2020 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates*
| Te'a Cooper | Baylor |
| Crystal Dangerfield | Connecticut |
| Kelly Campbell | DePaul |
| Ali Patberg | Indiana |
| Sabrina Ionescu | Oregon |
| Destiny Slocum | Oregon State |
| Stella Johnson | Rider |
| Tyasha Harris | South Carolina |
| Sug Sutton | Texas |
| Japreece Dean | UCLA |
*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.
Follow Indiana Women's Basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
#GoIU
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