Wooden Award Flashback: Caitlin Clark’s historic run as a Hawkeye

By Malia Poblete
The Sporting Tribune

The John R. Wooden Award will rejoice its fiftieth anniversary this season. Leading as much as the award ceremony on April 10, 2026, The Sporting Tribune in partnership with the Wooden Award and the Los Angeles Athletic Club will spotlight previous winners of the Wooden Award and the Legends of Coaching Award.

From the start to her collegiate finish, Caitlin Clark constructed a title for herself in Iowa. Growing up in Des Moines, she was outlined by her deep-range taking pictures, superior playmaking, and a relentless scoring mentality. It made her one of many nation’s high recruits by the point she was executed at Dowling Catholic High School.

Coming into 2020, she donned the gold and black for the University of Iowa and simply grew to become a must-watch participant. Her freshman yr she averaged 26.6 factors, 7.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per sport, later incomes Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Rookie of the Year, and USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year.

And there was no slowing down. Clark elevated each a part of her sport averaging 27 factors, eight rebounds, and eight assists her sophomore yr. She grew to become the primary participant in NCAA historical past to guide the nation in each scoring and assists in the identical season. The accolades as soon as once more communicate for themselves. She grew to become Big Ten Player of the Year, unanimous First-Team All-American, and received the Nancy Lieberman Award for the nation’s high level guard.

The Hawkeyes later received the Big Ten Tournament behind their triple-double dominance.

Junior yr she delivered one of many biggest NCAA Tournament runs ever, scoring a 41-point triple-double within the Elite Eight and 41 factors versus the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks within the Final Four. Rightfully so, she received Naismith Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, and the Wooden Award.

Iowa reached its first nationwide championship sport in program historical past that yr.

Her biggest season scoring ever got here her senior yr. A statistical celebrity, she averaged 31.6 factors, 8.9 assists, and seven.4 rebounds throughout 39 video games. Clark grew to become the NCAA Division I all-time scorer, males’s or girls’s surpassing Pete Maravich’s 3,667 factors on March 3, 2024. On high of that she set the NCAA single-season 3-point report and single-season scoring report.

No shock she swept each main award once more, Naismith, AP Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, Honda Award, and Wooden.

“All we do is believe in each other and love each other to death and that’s what a true team is,” Clark informed ESPN. “If you want an example of what a team is, that’s what this team is. Coach (Lisa) Bluder knows how to create a team. You gotta create a culture where everyone’s valued. I’m just lucky enough to be a part of it.”

Drafted primary total, Clark swapped Iowa for Indiana, changing into the star of the Fever franchise. She had one of many strongest debuts in league historical past and was averaging 19.2 factors, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds. Her efficiency led her to obtain the WNBA Rookie of the Year, All-WNBA First Team, WNBA assists chief, and WNBA All-Star.

Currently she is recovering from damage this previous season, however she maintains to be a key function mannequin in navigating a league that’s reshaping itself round her and lots of different star gamers’ presence.