COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The NCAA Champion Maryland women's basketball team is among the nominees for an ESPY Award in the category of Best Team which was announced Monday. The 2006 ESYPS are Co-Presented by GMC and Under Armour and will be televised on Sunday, July 16 at 9 p.m. Fans can vote for the Terps through July 8 by logging on to the ESPYS' official web site.

Among the nominees for Best Team award are the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox, NBA Champion Miami Heat, Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and National Champion Texas Longhorns.

The nominees will be featured, discussed and debated on Tuesday, June 27 at 7 p.m. on ESPN during the ESPY Nomination Show which will be co-hosted by Stuart Scott and Melyssa Ford, and will include commentary by in-studio guests Lance Armstrong, who will also host the ESPYS, Hines Ward and others, along with Jim Rome and Pardon the Interruption's Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon.

The Terps captured the hearts of fans across the country when they defeated Duke, 78-75, in overtime to clinch the program's first national crown. Maryland was down 13 points in the second half and came back to tie the game in regulation with a three pointer from freshman Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) over the Blue Devils' 6-7 center Alison Bales with just seconds remaining in regulation. The 13-point deficit was tied for the second-biggest a team has had to overcome to win the title in NCAA history.

Terrapin head coach Brenda Frese will represent the Terps at the ESPYS, which are being taped in Los Angeles. In four seasons, she has taken Maryland from a 10-18 squad in 2002-03 to a national championship this season. It was Maryland's first trip to the final four since 1989 and Frese's first in her career.

For more information on the ESPY Awards and to vote, go to espn.go.com/espy2006/.

-TERPS-