Deary Added to Watch List

EVANSTON, Ill. ­– Northwestern senior Ashley Deary has been named one of ten finalists for the 2017 Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation’s top point guard.

Deary was among the 20 initial players listed on the preseason Lieberman watch list and joins Alexis Jones (Baylor), Lexie Brown (Duke), Lindsay Allen (Notre Dame), Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State), Alexis Peterson (Syracuse), Feyonda Fitzgerald (Temple), Curtyce Knox (Texas A&M), Jordin Canada (UCLA) and Kelsey Plum (Washington) as finalists.

“Ashley has led our team to one of its best records in history,” head coach Joe McKeown said. “She is a fearless leader on the court and does whatever it takes to help us win. Her defensive tenacity has wreaked havoc in the Big Ten over the last four years. Ashley shows great leadership off the court as well, as she is one of the top student-athletes in the country. During her career, she has propelled this program to four straight winning seasons, the NCAA tournament and many weeks in the national rankings.”

Deary is having a remarkable season running the offense for the 17-6 Wildcats. She averages 11.2 points, 6.7 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.8  rebounds per game. She has scored in double figures 16 times this year and has dished out eight or more assists eight times. Deary ranks fourth in the country in steals per game and 12th in assists per contest. She is the nation’s active career leader in both categories, and she holds the Big Ten all-time record with 402 steals.

The candidates for the annual Lieberman Award must exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. The selection committee is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.

The list will be narrowed down to five in mid-March, and the winner will be announced during the WBCA’s keynote session at the Women’s Final Four in Dallas, Texas.