Bentley Named a Final Nominee for the Nancy Lieberman Award
By: K.C. Kantz
Updated: February 22, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - Penn State senior Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) has been named a final nominee for the 14thannual Nancy Lieberman Award as announced by the Rotary Club of Detroit. Bentley is one of seven players on the list, joining Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Angel Goodrich (Kansas), Chelsea Gray (Duke), Lindsey Moore (Nebraska), Odyssey Sims (Baylor) and Haley Steed (BYU).
The Lieberman Award is a national project of the Rotary Club of Detroit honoring the nation's top collegiate point guard in women's Division I basketball. 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 will select three finalists from the list of seven and one winner at the beginning of April. The announcement of the three finalists and winner will be made during the Final Four Weekend (April 7-9, 2013). This year's award will be presented at a luncheon at The Detroit Athletic Club on April 17, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan.
The 2013 Big Ten Preseason Co-Player of the Year, Bentley currently ranks third in the country in steals with a 3.67 thefts average. The point guard is ninth in school history in points (1,683), eighth in field goals made (683), eighth in assists (546) and fourth in steals (309). She is just the fourth player in Big Ten history and the second player in school history, joining Suzie McConnell, to tally 1,500 points, 500 assists and 300 steals. Bentley is also one of 34 Lady Lions to net 1,000 career points.
Former Lady Lion Helen Darling was a finalist for the award in 2000. Past winners of the awards were Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame; 2012), 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), Diana Taurasi (Connecticut; 2003, 2004), and Sue Bird (Connecticut; 2000, 2001, 2002).
--PSU Athletic Communications--
