University of Minnesota Athletics
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/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Courtney Anderson
Bell Named to Lieberman Award Watch List
10/22/2018 4:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota senior Kenisha Bell was named to the preseason watch list for the 2019 Nancy Lieberman Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced Monday.
Bell was one of 20 student-athletes, including one of three from the Big Ten, to be added to the watch list for the award that is given annually to the nation's top point guard. To be considered for this prestigious award, which is now in its 20th year, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.
Last season, Bell was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press, was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection and earned All-Big Ten Defensive Team honors. Also on Monday, she was a consensus preseason All-Big Ten selection by the league's coaches and media.
She set single-season school records for both made free throws (187) and free throw attempts (255) during the year, while her assist total (223) and assist rate were both the second most in the last 37 years at Minnesota. Bell led the Gophers by averaging 20.0 points and 6.8 assists per game and also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per contest. Nationally, she finished sixth in free throw attempts, seventh in free throws made, ninth in assists per game and 10th in total assists.
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. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players will be narrowed to 10 and then cut to five in March. Fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com. Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season.
The winner of the 2019 Lieberman Award will be announced in April in Tampa, Fla., in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four and WBCA Convention. Broadcast information will be released by ESPN at a later date.
Bell was one of 20 student-athletes, including one of three from the Big Ten, to be added to the watch list for the award that is given annually to the nation's top point guard. To be considered for this prestigious award, which is now in its 20th year, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.
Last season, Bell was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press, was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection and earned All-Big Ten Defensive Team honors. Also on Monday, she was a consensus preseason All-Big Ten selection by the league's coaches and media.
She set single-season school records for both made free throws (187) and free throw attempts (255) during the year, while her assist total (223) and assist rate were both the second most in the last 37 years at Minnesota. Bell led the Gophers by averaging 20.0 points and 6.8 assists per game and also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per contest. Nationally, she finished sixth in free throw attempts, seventh in free throws made, ninth in assists per game and 10th in total assists.
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. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players will be narrowed to 10 and then cut to five in March. Fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com. Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season.
The winner of the 2019 Lieberman Award will be announced in April in Tampa, Fla., in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four and WBCA Convention. Broadcast information will be released by ESPN at a later date.
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