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2019 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year list is down to five finalists

By Carly Grenfell

SOUTH BEND, IN - DECEMBER 02: Crystal Dangerfield #5 of the Connecticut Huskies dribbles the ball against Marina Mabrey #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion on December 2, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - DECEMBER 02: Crystal Dangerfield #5 of the Connecticut Huskies dribbles the ball against Marina Mabrey #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion on December 2, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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And then there were five.

The Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association have announced the five finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, honoring the best point guard in NCAA women’s basketball. The five players still alive on the 2019 ballot are Crystal Dangerfield (Connecticut), Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon), Destiny Slocum (Oregon St.), Tyasha Harris (South Carolina) and Tiana Mangakahia (Syracuse).

Here’s a quick breakdown of 2018-19 highlights of each finalist.

Crystal Dangerfield

  • Scored a season-high 26 points against Temple, including five three-pointers
  • Had 12 assists against East Carolina in early February
  • Has had three games this year with double-digit assists and four games with nine
  • Is shooting over 90 percent from the charity stripe
  • Plays more minutes (34.4 per game) than anyone else on UConn’s roster

Sabrina Ionescu

  • Looks to repeat as the Point Guard of the Year in 2019
  • Scored a season-high 31 points against Arizona
  • Went 17-17 from the line against Mississippi State
  • Had 17 assists against Long Beach State in December
  • Has 266 total assists in 33 games this season

Destiny Slocum

  • Leads Oregon State in scoring at 16.0 points per game
  • Leads the team in assists per game with 4.6
  • Is shooting nearly 47 percent from the field
  • She as 12, 20-point games this year
  • She is also on the Naismith Trophy Mid-Season Team, the Wooden Award Late Season Watch List and the Wade Trophy Watch List.

Tyasha Harris

  • Had a season-high 28 points against Tennessee
  • Notched a season-best 13 rebounds and 13 assists in 2018
  • Has 18 double-digit point scoring games
  • Is shooting a 41.2 percent clip from the field
  • Has 217 assists this year

Tiana Mangakahia

  • Averaging 16.7 points per game, the best on the team
  • Has 268 assists (8.4 average) this year, which is a nation-best
  • Averages a team-best 4.3 free throws per game
  • Leads the team in steals per game (2.2)
  • Shooting over 45 percent from the field

More from NCAA

To be nominated, candidates should demonstrate similar qualities to those that 1996 Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman did: floor leadership, a play-maker’s mentality and elite ball-handling skills. Take one glance at the past winners list and you’ll understand the type of player who takes home one of the most prestigious honors in college hoops. This list includes players like Ionescu, last year’s winner, Kelsey Plum, Moriah Jefferson, Odyssey Sims and Skylar Diggins-Smith, among others.

The winner is determined by fan votes, which can be cast starting March 15 through March 29 at www.hoophallawards.com, and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The 2019 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award will be named on Thursday, April 4, at the Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida.

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