Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is Big Ten player of the year

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Iowa sophomore guard Caitlin Clark pointed to her teammates Tuesday after being chosen as Big Ten Player of the Year by both the conference coaches and a select panel of Big Ten media members.

It’s the fourth time in five seasons and eighth time overall that a Hawkeye has earned that honor.

“They do make me look really good,” Clark said during a Zoom conference before the second-seeded Hawkeyes begin play in this weekend’s Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.

Clark was joined on the first team by Monika Czinano. McKenna Warnock earned second-team honors from the media, honorable mention from the coaches.

“I’m really, really happy that McKenna was recognized,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “That’s really, really great news.”

Clark is the first underclass player selected as Big Ten Player of the Year since 2015, when Ohio State freshman Kelsey Mitchell and Minnesota sophomore Amanda Zahui B. shared the award from the coaches and media, respectively.

The last outright underclass recipient of the Big Ten Player of the Year honor was Ohio State sophomore Jantel Lavender in 2009.

A native of West Des Moines, Clark is a finalist for every major national player of the year award, leading the nation in scoring for the second consecutive season (27.5 ppg) and also setting the pace in assists (8.3 apg) this year, something no NCAA Division I women’s basketball player has ever done for an entire campaign. The only men’s basketball player to accomplish the feat was Oklahoma’s Trae Young in 2017-18.

In addition, Clark has a conference-record (and NCAA-leading) five triple-doubles this season and six for her career, which ties the Big Ten all-time record held by former Iowa standout Samantha Logic (2011-15).

“I feel very strongly she will be the national player of the year,” Bluder said.

Nebraska forward Alexis Markowski was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Michigan’s Kim Barnes Arico is Coach of the Year. Northwestern junior guard Veronica Burton earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors for the third consecutive season, while Maryland freshman guard Shyanne Sellers was voted the Big Ten’s Sixth Player of the Year.

Czinano is averaging 20.7 points per game, Warnock 12.4.

Iowa will play either Northwestern or Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

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