Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark named Naismith Trophy finalist

Iowa sophomore guard Caitlin Clark authored a season unlike any other in women’s college basketball history. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native led the nation in points and assists per game to become the first player to lead the country in both categories in a single season.

Clark averaged 27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and 1.5 steals per game. Her 863 total points, 200 free throws made and 257 total assists this season were all tops nationally. The 6-foot guard also led the nation in triple-doubles with five and 30-point games with 11.

Now, Clark has been named one of four Naismith Trophy finalists. She joins South Carolina junior forward Aliyah Boston, Stanford junior guard Haley Jones and Baylor senior forward NaLyssa Smith as one of the finalists. The award is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding women’s college basketball player.

Clark earned Big Ten Player of the Year status after a season filled with milestones. In January, Clark recorded back-to-back 30-point triple-doubles versus Nebraska and Minnesota. She scored 31 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists versus the Cornhuskers on Jan. 16 in Iowa’s 93-83 win over the Cornhuskers before dropping 35 points, collecting 13 rebounds and assisting 11 times at Minnesota in the Hawkeyes’ 105-49 Jan. 20 triumph over the Gophers.

In the process, Clark joined Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, James Harden, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA, WNBA, or Division I men’s or women’s basketball players to register back-to-back 30-point triple-doubles. Clark is the only NCAA player to ever record back-to-back 30-point triple-doubles and one of 10 women’s basketball players to register back-to-back triple-doubles in their careers.

In early January, Clark broke the 1,000-career points barrier in a 93-56 win over Evansville in which she scored 44 points. Clark also became the fastest Division I player to reach 1,500 career points over the last 20 seasons, eclipsing that mark with 32 points in the Hawkeyes’ 87-78 win at Rutgers on Feb. 24.

She was also named Big Ten Tournament MVP after averaging 26 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in Iowa’s wins over Northwestern, Nebraska and Indiana. Clark was a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection, was named a Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year finalist, Dawn Staley Award finalist, a WBCA Wade Trophy midseason watch list member and John R. Wooden Award national ballot top-15 selection.

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