On Monday, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the final list of the 2025 Women’s Point Guard of the Year Award nominees.
Naismith Hall of Fame Reveals Finalists for 2025 Women’s Point Guard of the Year Award
UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles made the five finalists list. Others on the list include Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore, Texas’ Rori Harmon, and UCLA’s Kiki Rice.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Five Finalists for the 2025 Women’s and Point Guard of the Year Award.
🔗: https://t.co/R6lNdMdQeL… @WBCA1981 | #LiebermanAward | #HoophallU pic.twitter.com/n1eifLVan2
— University of Hoophall (@hoophallu) March 3, 2025
Bueckers, who won the award in 2021, making history as the first freshman to win it, was selected after she led UConn with 18.6 points and 5.0 assists per game this season. She also leads the nation with a 3.69 assist-turnover ratio.
Bueckers is averaging 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game against top-25 opponents this season, including becoming the 14th Husky all-time to reach 500 career assists after UConn’s upset win against South Carolina last month.
Meanwhile, Miles, the Irish graduate guard, made the list after averaging 16.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Miles leads the ACC in assists per game and also ranks 14th nationally. She also leads the nation with three triple-doubles this season, becoming the first player in ACC history with back-to-back triple-doubles.
The Nancy Lieberman Award, now in its 26th year, recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. Candidates must exhibit floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills like the Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Lieberman.
Paige Bueckers Makes College Basketball History on UConn’s Senior Day
Bueckers made history in UConn’s blowout 92-57 victory over Marquette on Senior Day. She led the charge for the Huskies with 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and three steals.
Following her performance, the Hopkins, Minnesota native became the only player in Division I, men’s or women’s, in the 21st century to record over 2,000 points, 500-plus rebounds, and 500-plus assists. She is also the only player to shoot 50% or better from the field, 40% or better from beyond the arc, and 80% or better from the free-throw line, per OptaSTATS.
In the 21st century, only one Division I player has had:
2000+ points
500+ rebounds
500+ assists
50.0+ FG%
40.0+ 3P%
80.0+ FT%…in his or her career. That one player is @UConnWBB‘s Paige Bueckers. pic.twitter.com/FiGUWqfgMP
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 3, 2025
In the win against Marquette, Bueckers’ No. 5 jersey was also inducted into the Huskies of Honor. She now joins UConn legends Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi.
KEEP READING: USA TODAY Sports Network’s 2025 All-SEC Women’s Basketball Awards
Meanwhile, the Huskies finished with a perfect record (18-0) in Big East play this season, securing the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
They will now focus on the Big East Conference Tournament before preparing for the NCAA Tournament, where Bueckers hopes to win her first national championship title.
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