Kentucky’s Epps named to Nancy Lieberman Award watch list
University of Kentucky senior guard Makayla Epps was one of 20 players named Monday to the preseason watch list for the 2017 Nancy Lieberman Award, which annually recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I basketball.
Epps is the only Southeastern Conference player on the list, which will be narrowed to 10 in mid-February before five finalists are selected in March. The winner will be announced at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Dallas.
A native of Lebanon, Ky., Epps last week was named to the preseason All-SEC team by media who cover the league.
Epps averaged 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season. She scored 20-plus points 12 times. Early last season, Epps posted the second triple-double in program history with 21 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds against Morehead State. She enters her senior season 19th all-time on Kentucky’s career scoring list with 1,207 points
Kentucky will begin the 2016-17 season on Nov. 11 against Miami (Fla.) at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum.
2017 Nancy Lieberman Award candidates
Alexis Jones, Baylor
Kia Nurse, Connecticut
Jessica January, DePaul
Caitlin Ingle, Drake
Meghan Creighton, Drexel
Lexie Brown, Duke
Makayla Epps, Kentucky
Loren Cagle, Lipscomb
Adrienne Motley, Miami (Fla.)
Katelynn Flaherty, Michigan
Ashley Deary, Northwestern
Lindsay Allen, Notre Dame
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
Sydney Wiese, Oregon State
Jessica Kovatch, St. Francis (Pa.)
Jackie Kemph, St. Louis
Alexis Peterson, Syracuse
Jordan Canada, UCLA
Funda Nakkasoglu, Utah State
Kelsey Plum, Washington
This story was originally published October 24, 2016 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Kentucky’s Epps named to Nancy Lieberman Award watch list."