Ionescu Named to Lieberman Award List
10/22/18 | Women's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. - After winning the award a season ago as a sophomore, Sabrina Ionescu has been named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list for her junior season. The award is annually presented to the top point guard in the country.
Ionescu had one of the greatest seasons in UO history last year. The point guard set both the program and Pac-12 records with 298 assists last year, helping the Ducks to both the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles plus a second straight trip to the Elite Eight. Ionescu ranked second in the NCAA in total assists (298), fourth in assists per game (7.8), ninth in total points (748) and owns the NCAA career record with 10 triple-doubles. She tallied six triple-doubles last season, including one in the NCAA Tournament, after posting four as a freshman.
Ionescu was a consensus first-team All-American last year in addition to being named the Pac-12 player of the year and the Pac-12 Tournament MVP. Ionescu joined Kelsey Plum as the only players from the Pac-12 to win the Nancy Lieberman Award. She is the second Kelly Graves point guard to win it, after Courtney Vandersloot took home the award at Gonzaga in 2011.
Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include Ionescu (2018), Plum, Washington (2017), Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut (2015-16), Odyssey Sims, Baylor (2014), Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (2012-13), 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).
2019 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates
Laia Raventos, Charlotte
Kennedy Leonard, Colorado
Crystal Dangerfield, Connecticut
Kelly Campbell, DePaul
Kyra Lambert, Duke
Taja Cole, Georgia
Kayla Goth, Kansas St.
Channise Lewis, Maryland
Kenisha Bell, Minnesota
Paris Kea, North Carolina
Marina Mabrey, Notre Dame
Chastadie Barrs, Lamar
Carmen Grande, Ohio St.
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
Destiny Slocum, Oregon St.
Jessica Kovatch, Saint Francis
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Tiana Mangakahia, Syracuse
Evina Westbrook, Tennessee
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season
Ionescu had one of the greatest seasons in UO history last year. The point guard set both the program and Pac-12 records with 298 assists last year, helping the Ducks to both the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles plus a second straight trip to the Elite Eight. Ionescu ranked second in the NCAA in total assists (298), fourth in assists per game (7.8), ninth in total points (748) and owns the NCAA career record with 10 triple-doubles. She tallied six triple-doubles last season, including one in the NCAA Tournament, after posting four as a freshman.
Ionescu was a consensus first-team All-American last year in addition to being named the Pac-12 player of the year and the Pac-12 Tournament MVP. Ionescu joined Kelsey Plum as the only players from the Pac-12 to win the Nancy Lieberman Award. She is the second Kelly Graves point guard to win it, after Courtney Vandersloot took home the award at Gonzaga in 2011.
Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include Ionescu (2018), Plum, Washington (2017), Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut (2015-16), Odyssey Sims, Baylor (2014), Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (2012-13), 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).
2019 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates
Laia Raventos, Charlotte
Kennedy Leonard, Colorado
Crystal Dangerfield, Connecticut
Kelly Campbell, DePaul
Kyra Lambert, Duke
Taja Cole, Georgia
Kayla Goth, Kansas St.
Channise Lewis, Maryland
Kenisha Bell, Minnesota
Paris Kea, North Carolina
Marina Mabrey, Notre Dame
Chastadie Barrs, Lamar
Carmen Grande, Ohio St.
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
Destiny Slocum, Oregon St.
Jessica Kovatch, Saint Francis
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Tiana Mangakahia, Syracuse
Evina Westbrook, Tennessee
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballKatie Fiso: "Stay tuned."
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Ari Long: "Making sure to never be satisfied."
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Kelly Graves: "I really like what I see."
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