College basketball star Caitlin Clark was named the 2024 Wooden Award winner on Tuesday as the most outstanding player in women’s college basketball.
It marked the second consecutive year the Hawkeyes star has been given the honor, as she won this year’s award over finalists Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo.
“I think the biggest thing is just how fortunate and lucky I am and these awards never get old,” Clark said during an interview on “SportsCenter” after the announcement. “I’m super fortunate to have a team like I do, to have played for a university that supports women’s basketball so much and the two seasons that we’ve been able to put together the last couple of years have been really special.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts after hitting a three-point shot against LSU during the third quarter of an Elite Eight round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. AP “I know it goes fast but I think the biggest thing I tried to remind myself is just how grateful I am and a lot of people would want to be in my shoes. That’s kind of how I try to do everything.”
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Clark has become one of the biggest names in women’s basketball over the past two years, leading Iowa to back-to-back appearances in the Final Four — falling to LSU in 2023 and South Carolina this past season — while helping to draw historic interest and ratings — in the women’s game.
Clark’s historic 2023-24 season saw her finish with 3,951 career points — the most of any men’s or women’s Division I player — as she surpassed the longtime record-holder Pete Maravich after she shattered the NCAA women’s career scoring record, which had been held by Kelsey Plum.
“There are so many moments it’s hard to pick out,” Clark said when looking back at the Mount Rushmore moments of her college career. “But I think even I appreciate all the moments in between. Not even just the on-court stuff. Whether it was interacting with young fans, whether it was the goofy moments with my teammates in the locker room.
“All of those are what I’ll cherish forever.”
Caitlin Clark ended her college career at Iowa with numerous records. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK The former Hawkeyes superstar is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick at the WNBA draft on Monday in Brooklyn.
