Cook Named to Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Top-20 Preseason Watch List for Second Straight Season

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois fifth-year guard Makira Cook has been selected for the Nancy Lieberman Award preseason watch list for the second consecutive season, the Naismith Awards announced on Monday. The Nancy Lieberman Award recognizes the top point guard in the country, with Cook securing one of the 20 spots on the preseason watch list. Cook stands out as the only Illinois player to ever make it to the Lieberman Award watch list.

Given annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) since 2000, the award is a prestigious honor for point guards.

Cook’s performance in the 2023-24 season earned her a spot as an All-Big Ten Second Team honoree. She led the Fighting Illini in scoring with an average of 16.4 points per game throughout the season. Achieving double figures in 27 out of 31 games played, Cook’s scoring ability was consistent, especially in the final 11 games of the season. She was the leading scorer for Illinois in 14 games during her senior year.

With a second consecutive 500-point season, Cook accomplished two double-doubles in her sophomore year at Illinois with shooting percentages of 40% from the field, 35.4% from 3-point range, and 85.4% from the free-throw line.

During the Illini’s journey to winning the inaugural WBIT championship, Cook averaged 21 points per game and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Her standout performance in the title game against Villanova included 27 points and shooting 5-for-6 from 3-point range. Cook set a new program record with her 105 points scored during the WBIT tournament.

Cook, who was also named to the 2024-25 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten team on Sept. 26, is looking forward to competing in her final year of eligibility at Illinois. She has surpassed the 1,000-point mark at Illinois and has a career total of over 1,600 points.

The Nancy Lieberman Award watch list will be narrowed down to 10 in late January, followed by the announcement of five finalists in late March.

In addition to the Nancy Lieberman Award, there are four other Naismith Starting 5 awards for women. The watch lists for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward), and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center) will be revealed throughout the week.

2024-25 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates*

Paige Bueckers

UConn

Hannah Hidalgo

Notre Dame

Te-Hina PaoPao

South Carolina

Jordan Harrison

West Virginia

Olivia Miles

Notre Dame

Lucy Olsen