University of North Carolina Athletics
Latta In Running For Naismith, Lieberman Awards
February 22, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina guard Ivory Latta, a sophomore from McConnells, S.C., has been named one of 30 mid-season candidates for the Naismith Trophy, presented annually to the men's and women's players of the year, and one of 10 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award. Latta is one of five players who are candidates for both awards, which will be presented in April.
Latta leads No. 8 UNC in scoring with 15.5 points per game and in assists with 4.9 per game. She leads the ACC in free thrown percentage (.910), ranks second in three-pointers per game (2.4), fifth in assists, seventh in scoring and seventh in assist-turnover ratio (1.49).
The Naismith Top 30 list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season. The list was narrowed down from the pre-season list of 50 candidates who were announced at the beginning of the season.
The The Nancy Lieberman Award is presented by the Rotary Club of Detroit. Selected by sportswriters from around the nation, it is based on floor leadership, play-making ability and ball-handling skills. Latta is the only sophomore on a list that also includes eight seniors and a junior.
Naismith Trophy Top 30 list: Seimone Augustus (Jr., LSU), Jacqueline Batteast (Sr., Notre Dame), Steffanie Blackmon (Sr., Baylor), Nikki Blue (Jr., UCLA), Lindsay Bowen (Jr., Michigan State), Jamie Carey (Sr., Texas), Monique Currie (Jr., Duke), Jessica Davenport (So., Ohio State), Jessalyn Deveny (Sr., Boston College), Shay Doron (So., Maryland), Ashley Earley (Sr., Vanderbilt), Shyra Ely (Sr., Tennessee), Sandora Irvin (Sr., TCU), Dionnah Jackson (Sr. , Oklahoma), Tiffany Jackson (So., Texas), Temeka Johnson (Sr., LSU), Ivory Latta (So., North Carolina), Sancho Lyttle (Sr., Houston), Janel McCarville (Sr., Minnesota), Cappie Pondexter (Sr., Rutgers), Noelle Quinn (So., UCLA), Khara Smith (Jr. , DePaul), Kim Smith (Jr., Utah), Ann Strother (Jr., Connecticut), Barbara Turner (Jr., Connecticut), Kendra Wecker (Sr., Kansas State), Tan White (Sr., Mississippi State), Candice Wiggins (Fr., Stanford), Tanisha Wright (Sr., Penn State), Sophia Young (Jr., Baylor)
Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year finalists: Jamie Carey (Sr., Texas), Jenni Dant (Sr., DePaul), Erin Grant (Jr., Texas Tech), Dionnah Jackson (Sr., Oklahoma), Temeka Johnson (Sr., LSU), Ivory Latta (North Carolina), Yolanda Paige (Sr., West Virginia), Cappie Pondexter (Sr., Rutgers), Anesia Smith (Sr., Maryland) and Jess Strom (Sr., Penn State).
