Caitlin Clark (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)
Caitlin Clark B1G Player of Week
IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa sophomore Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
Clark has tallied 30-career Big Ten weekly honors – 13 freshman, 11 player and six honor roll. This week’s award is the sixth Big Ten Player of the Week honor this season for Clark.
Clark averaged 38.7 points, 9.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds in three games, drawing 21 fouls and making 18 free throws. The sophomore registered two 40-point games over ranked opponents, including 43 against No. 23 Ohio State and a career-high 46 points over No. 6 Michigan on the Wolverines’ home court to set the arena record for most points by a woman – the third arena record that Clark owns (Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Crisler Center, Pinnacle Bank Arena).
In Iowa’s, 98-90, road loss to No. 6 Michigan with only seven active student-athletes, including being down two starters, the Hawkeyes battled back from a 25-point deficit in the third quarter to end the game down by eight led by Clark’s arena-record setting 46 points. Clark registered her 12th double-double of the season, adding 10 assists against the Wolverines. She also tallied four rebounds and three steals and drew 10 fouls.
The Des Moines, Iowa, native registered her fifth season and sixth career triple double in Iowa’s road win over Wisconsin with 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Clark’s six career triple-doubles ties former Hawkeye Sam Logic’s Big Ten record (2011-15) for most in their career and ties fifth most single season (5) and career (6) triple-doubles in NCAA Division I history.
Against No. 23 Ohio State, Clark tallied 43 points, including seven made 3-pointers, shooting 50 percent (7-14) from beyond the arc.
Clark and the Hawkeyes host Minnesota on Wednesday, Feb. 9 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) on B1G+.
Clark Named to Nancy Lieberman Top-10 Watch List
Clark also was named to the Nancy Lieberman Top-10 Watch List, the Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced Monday.
The Nancy Lieberman Award, in its 23rd year, recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. The award is given annually to a player who exhibits the floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman. Clark is one of four Big Ten athletes on the list. She’s joined by Michigan State’s Nia Clouden, Northwestern’s Veronica Burton and Maryland’s Ashley Owusu.
The Des Moines, Iowa, native is having a record-breaking season, registering five triple-doubles this season and leading the country in most career triple-doubles by an active player with six. Clark’s six career triple-doubles ties former Hawkeye Sam Logic’s Big Ten record (2011-15) for most in a career and ties for the fifth most single season (5) and career (6) triple-doubles in NCAA Division I history.
In January, Clark joined the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Hardin, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA, WNBA, Division I men’s and women’s basketball to record back-to-back 30-point triple doubles since 2000. She is one of 10 women’s basketball players (15 times) to register back-to-back triple doubles in their careers — the only NCAA player (male or female) to do so with 30-plus points in the pair.
Clark broke the 1,000-career point barrier against Evansville in early January, becoming the fastest Big Ten women’s basketball athlete and the eighth NCAA athlete to meet the mile marker in 40 games or less. Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell previously held the record with 1,000 in 41 games during the 2016-17 season. Clark is only the second NCAA athlete in the last 25 years to tally 1,000 points in 40 games or less — Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne did it in 38 games (2011-12).
Against Penn State, Clark broke the Iowa single-game assist record, tallying 18 and breaking the Big Ten record against a conference opponent — regular season or Big Ten Tournament game. Former Hawkeye Kathleen Doyle previously held the Iowa record with 15 assists against Nebraska (Feb. 6, 2020). Clark is tied with Nebraska’s Rachel Theriot who had 18 assists against Minnesota on March 7, 2014 in the B1G Tournament for the NCAA Tournament lead.
Clark set a career-high 46 points against No. 6 Michigan, registering her 12th double-double of the season with 10 assists and breaking her third women’s basketball arena scoring record. She now holds the scoring records at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena (44), Michigan’s Crisler Center (46) and Nebraska’s Pinnacle Bank Arena (39).
This season, the sophomore is averaging 27.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, while shooting 89.4 percent from the free-throw line.
