STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s basketball’s Anastasia Hayed was named to the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watch list, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday. This is the second consecutive season that Hayes has been named to the prestigious list.

Honoring the nation’s best point guards, Hayes is one of just 20 total players selected to the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award watch list.

Hayes, who was one of the nation’s best point guards last season, was named a WBCA All-America Honorable Mention while also being named to the All-SEC Second Team. She led the Bulldogs in scoring at 18.6 points per game while finishing second with 77 assists and third in both total rebounds (113) and steals (35). Her 18.6 points per game ranked third in the SEC last season and is the best points per game average by any returning SEC player entering the 2022-23 season.

On her way to being a finalist for the Gillom Trophy, Hayes scored at least 20-points in 13 games including 10 SEC contests, featuring a streak of six games from Jan. 27 through Feb. 15 with at least 20+ points. During that six-game stretch, Hayes earned her first career SEC Player of the Week honor while averaging 23 points and six assists in a pair of wins over Missouri and Texas A&M. She scored a season-high 31-points in a win over Vanderbilt which was the fifth-most points scored in an SEC game last season.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Friday, October 21. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2023 Nancy Liberman 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 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award winner will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.

Mississippi State fans can get their first look at the 2022-23 squad on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. when State hosts Mississippi Valley State in their home and season-opener. Mississippi State will honor one of the greatest athletes in the Universities history when they commemorate the No. 32 jersey of LaToya Thomas and add her name and jersey to the rafters of Humphrey Coliseum. Thomas’ jersey commemoration will be at halftime vs North Alabama on Nov. 11. Tipoff for that contest will be at 5:30 p.m. CT.

Season tickets for the 2022-23 season are underway. Fans can purchase season tickets at hailstate.com/tickets or by calling the Mississippi State Ticket Office at (662) 325-2600 or (888) Go Dawgs (888-463-2947).

2023 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates*
Destinee Wells – Belmont
Deja Kelly – North Carolina
Jenna Annecchiarico – College of Charleston
Olivia Miles – Notre Dame
McKenna Hofschild – Colorado State
Te-Hina Paopao – Oregon
Caitlin Clark – Iowa
Makenna Marisa – Penn State
Emily Ryan – Iowa State
Lauren Park-Lane – Seton Hall
Chrislyn Carr – Louisville
Dyaisha Fair – Syracuse
Alexis Morris – LSU
Jasmine Powell – Tennessee
Haley Cavinder – Miami
Rori Harmon – Texas
Myah Taylor – Mississippi
Gina Conti – UCLA
Anastasia Hayes – Mississippi State
Jenna Clark – Yale

*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2022-23 season 

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