Logic Named to Lieberman Award Watch List

Jan. 15, 2014

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior guard Samantha Logic has been named to the 2014 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. The award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. Candidates exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.

“Sam is very deserving of this honor,” said UI head coach Lisa Bluder. “She has done a great job leading our team this season and night-in and night-out is one of the best players on the floor.”

Logic (5-foot-9), the Big Ten leader in assists, is the only player in the conference to average 14 or more points (14.7), six or more rebounds (6.9), and six or more assists (7.0). She ranks 14th in league scoring, 13th in rebounding, and third in steals (2.2) and assist/turnover ratio (1.9), while ranking eighth nationally in assists. Logic has been named Big Ten Player of the Week twice this season, while also being named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll three other times.

Logic, 1-of-2 conference juniors named preseason All-Big Ten, is second in career assists (479) at Iowa. Cara Consuegra (1997-2001) is Iowa’s all-time assists leader (576). In addition, Logic’s 10 career games with double digit assists are the most in program history. Cara Consuegra is second with nine games.

The Racine, Wis., native, is 15th in the NCAA in career assists among active players, and sixth in career assists/game (5.77).

Logic — the only current Big Ten player with two career triple-doubles — has two of the five triple-doubles in program history. She is nearly averaging a triple-double over the last six contests (16.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.0 assists), and has registered a triple-double and three double-doubles during the stretch.

She is 1-of-2 league players named to the Watch List along with Northwestern’s Ashley Deary.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame became the new host of the Nancy Lieberman Award in October 2013 after the Rotary Club of Detroit managed it for several years.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to award a young athlete that shows the same sort of dedication to the game of basketball as the legendary Nancy Lieberman,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “This award is our chance to recognize some truly extraordinary point guards in women’s college basketball.”

The Hall of Fame appointed a premier Selection Committee made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers to review the candidates. The list will be narrowed down to a final 20 in February, then final five by March. The Lieberman Award winner will be announced during Final Four weekend activities.

“It’s amazing to be able to have my name associated with some of the best point guards and most well-rounded female athletes at the college level,” Lieberman said. “This is the first year the award is hosted by the Hall of Fame and I think candidates will be even more aware of how prestigious this honor is.”

Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include last year’s recipient Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Sue Bird (Connecticut), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut), Diana Taurasi (Connecticut), Lindsey Harding (Duke), Courtney Vandersloot (Gonzaga), Temeka Johnson (LSU), Kristi Toliver (Maryland), Ivory Latta (North Carolina), and Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State).

The Hawkeyes (14-4, 2-2) continue Big Ten action at home Thursday, hosting Michigan State (11-5, 3-0) at 7 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes, 9-1 at home this season, have won 10-of-13 overall.