Caitlin Clark is an AP preseason All-American

IOWA CITY -- Caitlin Clark has been named to the Associated Press preseason All-America women’s basketball team, released Tuesday.

Clark was on 21 ballots of 29 voters. She is the first preseason AP All-American in program history.

Connecticut sophomore Paige Bueckers was a unanimous selection. Also named were Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, NaLyssa Smith of Baylor and Rhyne Howard of Kentucky.

A sophomore from West Des Moines, Clark averaged 26.6 points, 7.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game as a freshman. The Hawkeyes went 20-10 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Also Tuesday, the Hawkeyes were picked third in the Big Ten by both the conference coaches and a media panel.

Maryland is the preseason pick to win the title, followed by Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State.

Clark was chosen the preseason Big Ten player of the year by the coaches, Naz Hillmon of Michigan by the media.

Clark and Hillmon both were unanimously voted to the coaches and media preseason all-Big Ten teams, with Maryland’s Ashley Owusu also earning unanimous preseason honors from the coaches.

Both teams featured the same 10 players, with the following seven joining the trio of Clark, Hillmon and Owusu:

Indiana’s Grace Berger and Mackenzie Holmes, Iowa’s Monika Czinano, Maryland’s Diamond Miller, Michigan’s Leigha Brown, Michigan State’s Nia Clouden and Northwestern’s Veronica Burton.

Iowa opens the 2021-22 season Nov. 4 with an exhibition against Truman State.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com