Gonzaga senior Courtney Vandersloot was named the winner of the Nancy Liberman Award by the Rotary Club of Detroit.  The award recognizes 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 determined the award winner and finalists.

 The three finalists (in alphabetical order) are: Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Jeanette Pohlen (Stanford), Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma). 

 Vandersloot, the 5-8 point guard, is the first in NCAA Division I history, male or female, to accumulate more than 2,000 points and 1,000 assists. She finished with 2,073 points and 1,118 assists. Averaging 19.8 points per game, Vandersloot led the nation in assists for the second year in a row averaging 10.2.    

 She broke the NCAA single-season assist record with 367 this year. The record had stood since 1987. She also became Gonzaga’s single season scoring leader with 712, breaking the record established in 1985.

 She is the 2011 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner and was selected by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) to their All-America team. She is a finalist for the State Farm Wade Trophy, the John R. Wooden Award and the WBCA State Farm All-America Team.

 Vandersloot helped the Bulldogs reach their first ever Elite Eight appearance and finish 31-5.

 Previous Nancy Lieberman Award Winners

2010    Andrea Riley - Oklahoma State

2009    Renee Montgomery - Connecticut

2008    Kristi Toliver - Maryland

2007    Lindsey Harding - Duke

2006    Ivory Latta - North Carolina

2005    Temeka Johnson - LSU

2004    Diana Taurasi - Connecticut

2003    Diana Taurasi - Connecticut

2002    Sue Bird - Connecticut

2001     Sue Bird - Connecticut

2000    Sue Bird - Connecticut

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