DALLAS – One of Conference USA’s top women’s basketball player’s was nationally recognized this week as UTEP’s Katia Gallegos was named to the 2022 Nancy Lieberman Award watch list, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced. It is the second-straight year that Gallegos has been a candidate for the reward which recognizes the nation’s top point guards.
 
The third year guard out of El Paso who recently was a All-Conference USA Preseason selection, led the Miners and was one of the top in the league a year ago in assists per game (5.0), assist-to-turnover radio (1.62) and steals (42).
 
She additionally paced her team in points per game (13.8), field goals made (127) and attempted (287), 3-pointers made (38), free throws made (54), defensive rebounds (91) and minutes per game (32.4). Her 5.0 assist average was the second-best by a UTEP sophomore and her 13.8 points per game was the fourth best amongst UTEP sophomores all time.
 
Now in its 23^rd year, the award recognizes the top point guard in the women's NCAA Division I college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman.
 
The 2021-22 collegiate basketball season officially starts on Tuesday, Nov. 9 with it culminating in the 2022 C-USA Basketball Championships, March 8-12 in Frisco, Texas.