Feb. 23, 2010
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University women's basketball junior point guard Courtney Vandersloot was named one of eight finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, a national project of the Rotary Club of Detroit honoring the nation's top collegiate point guard in Division I women's basketball.
"First off, I am very excited for Courtney," stated head coach Kelly Graves." She is so deserving of this recognition. She is the heart and soul of our basketball team and the engine that makes us go. There is no question she is one of the most exciting and gifted point guards in the country. I am so thrilled for her because I know how hard she works and what a great competitor she is."
Vandersloot has helped the Bulldogs to a 23-4 overall record and at least a share of their sixth-straight West Coast Conference regular season title with a perfect 12-0 mark. She became the West Coast Conference and Gonzaga all-time career assist leader this season, surpassing Amanda Rego's WCC leading mark of 659 set from 2004-08 at the University of San Diego and Shannon Mathews Zag mark of 600 set from 2002-05. Vandersloot has currently dished out 680. She also became the 14th player in Gonzaga history to eclipse 1,000 point plateau this season, having scored 1,285 to date which stands at 10th on the all-time scoring list.
The Kent, Wash., native currently ranks first in the nation in assists per game, averaging 9.3 and is second in the nation, and first in the West Coast Conference, in steals at 3.6 per contest. She also is 13th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.21, 68th in field goal percentage at 48.0 and 150th in scoring at 14.9 per contest.
Vandersloot is joined on the list by Alison Lacey (Iowa State), Nadirah McKenith (St. John's), Samantha Prahalis (Ohio State), Sam Quigley (DePaul), Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State), Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma) and Jasmine Thomas (Duke).
The criteria for the award are the floor leadership, play-making and ball handling skills that personified Hall of Famer, Nancy Lieberman during her career. Sportswriters from across the country have determined this final nominee list. They will select three finalists from this list and one winner at the beginning of April 2010. The announcement of the three finalists and one winner will be made during the Final Four Weekend (April 4-6, 2010).
