SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- For the second year in a row, Penn State women's basketball's Makenna Marisa is selected to the Preseason Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Watch List. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced 20 candidates for the 2024 Nancy Lieberman Award on Monday afternoon.
The prestigious honor recognizes the top point guard in NCAA Division I women's basketball. A national committee comprised of the top college basketball personnel selects this group of 20 female athletes. To be considered, candidates must exhibit the leadership, play making and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Fame inductee Nancy Lieberman according to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Along with this preseason nod, Marisa has also been tabbed to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team earlier this month. The fifth-year leader surpassed a milestone no other Lady Lion has achieved in program history during the 2022-23 season. She exceeded 1,750 career points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists and 175 three-pointers. With these statistics, Marisa moved into the third-spot all-time at Penn State in career 230-point games with seven and fifth in career three-point field goals with 187.
Marisa averaged 17.5 points per game and led the team in scoring, assists, field goals made, free throws made and free throw percentage.
The 2022-23 first team All-Big Ten honoree returns to Happy Valley to utilize her fifth season of eligibility in the 2023-24 season.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Friday, October 20. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Nancy Lieberman Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Lieberman and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
The 2024 Nancy Lieberman Award will be presented at a later date to be determined along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five.
2024 Nancy Lieberman Award Candidates
| Sarah Andrews | Baylor | Lauren Park-Lane | Mississippi State |
| Jaylyn Sherrod | Colorado | Deja Kelly | North Carolina |
| McKenna Hofschild | Colorado State | Olivia Miles | Notre Dame |
| Kaylynne Truong | Gonzaga | Jacy Sheldon | Ohio State |
| Makira Cook | Illinois | Makenna Marisa | Penn State |
| Caitlin Clark | Iowa | Te-Hina Paopao | South Carolina |
| Emily Ryan | Iowa State | Dyaisha Fair | Syracuse |
| Zakiyah Franklin | Kansas | Rori Harmon | Texas |
| Serena Sundell | Kansas State | Nika Mühl | UConn |
| Shyanne Sellers | Maryland | Georgia Amoore | Virginia Tech |