Iowa guard Caitlin Clark named 2022-23 Naismith Player of the Year

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark has won the Naismith Player of the Year Award for the 2022-23 season, it was announced Wednesday. The honor is well-deserved for the junior, who has been in a league of her own in leading the Hawkeyes to the Final Four for the first time since 1993.

Clark averaged 27.3 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game this season. She made history during the Elite Eight, becoming the first player in NCAA Tournament history — men’s or women’s — to record a 40-point triple-double with 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds against Louisville.

Clark beat out South Carolina‘s Aliyah Boston, Villanova‘s Maddy Seigrist and Virginia Tech‘s Elizabeth Kitley for the award. She’ll hope to continue her impressive season as she leads Iowa into a Final Four matchup against Boston and the defending national champion Gamecocks on Friday.

Boston won the Naismith Player of the Year in 2021-22 and has averaged 13.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and two blocks while shooting 56.8% this season. She has helped lead South Carolina to a school-record 36 wins as the Gamecocks have yet to lose this season on their quest to defend their national title.

Tip off for the Final Four matchup between the Hawkeyes and Gamecocks is set for 9 p.m. ET on Friday in Dallas.

More on Caitlin Clark’s impressive 2022-23 season

Before winning the Naismith, Clark earned first team All-American and was named Big Ten Player of the Year for the second straight season. She leads the nation in both assists (311) and triple-doubles (five) while ranking third in scoring.

Clark became the first women’s player to record at least 900 points and 300 assists in the same season. She is also the only player in the country with more than 950 points, 300 assists, 240 rebounds and 45 steals this year.

The triple-double she recorded against Louisville was the 11th of her career, ranking her second all-time. She has reached 25 points, five assists and five rebounds eighteen times this season, which is also an NCAA record. Her 2,370 career points rank second in Hawkeyes history.

Clark might not be done racking up trophies either. In addition to the Naismith award, she is also a finalist for the Wooden Award, Wade Trophy, and the Nancy Lieberman Award.

But while the individual accolades are sure to keep coming, Clark will have a chance to make this season even more special if she can lead Iowa to its first national championship in school history.