DETROIT, Mich. - The Rotary Club of Detroit announced that junior Kristi Toliver has been selected the 2008 Nancy Lieberman Award winner, recognizing the nation's top collegiate point guard in Division I women's basketball. Toliver helped Maryland to a 33-4 record and a second NCAA Elite Eight appearance in three years.

The criteria for the award are floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. Sportswriters from across the country determined the award winner and finalists. The honor was first presented in 2000. She is the fifth different player to receive the honor and the first Terrapin.

Kristi Toliver, the 5-7 point guard, was named to the 10-member All-America teams by the Women's Basketball Association (WBCA) and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). Also selected to the Associated Press All-America squad, she averaged a career-high 17.1 points per game, while dishing out 7.4 assists per game, also a career high and ranked fifth in the nation. Toliver was the ACC's free throw shooting leader at 86.0 percent and was second with a 1.70 assist-to-turnover ratio. She had 29 games with at least six assists and seven double-doubles, all coming in points and assists.

Named to the NCAA Spokane Regional All-Tournament and first team All-ACC squads, Toliver broke the 30-year old ACC single-season assist record, handing out 275 on the season. She also broke the single-season Maryland records for threes made (78), breaking her own mark set last season, and threes made in a career (210). Toliver also scored her 1,000th career point this season, netting 631 for the season, the fourth-most in a season by a Terrapin all-time.

Toliver was selected the winner over finalists Leilani Mitchell (Utah), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut) and Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State).

Toliver will be presented with the award at a luncheon on April 23 at the Detroit Athletic Club in Detroit, Mich.

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