Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is an AP women’s basketball All-America first-team pick for the 3rd time

For the third time, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is an Associated Press first-team All-America selection in women’s basketball.

She is a unanimous first-team selection (the only one) by the 35-person AP media panel.

Clark has scored more than 3,700 career points, averaging 31.9 points and 8.9 assists per game, both NCAA highs.

She has either won or is a finalist for every major player-of-the-year award. The AP national player of the year will be awarded the week of the Final Four, in Cleveland.

A second-team AP selection as a freshman in 2021, Clark is joined on the first team this year by Cameron Brink of Stanford, JuJu Watkins of USC, Paige Bueckers of Connecticut and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame.

Watkins and Hidalgo are freshmen.

Last year’s NCAA runner-up, Iowa (29-4) begins postseason play at 2 p.m. Saturday as a 1-seed, against either Holy Cross (20-12) or Tennessee-Martin (16-16), who collide in a First Four matchup Thursday.

The Hawkeyes were Big Ten runners-up and Big Ten tournament champions.

Iowa State freshman Audi Crooks earned honorable-mention All-American honors. Crooks, an Algona native, was a first-team all-Big 12 pick and averaged 18.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

The Cyclones (20-10) face Maryland in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday.

2023-24 Associated Press women’s basketball All-America teams

FIRST TEAM (*Unanimous)

Caitlin Clark, Iowa. 6-0; Senior; West Des Moines, Iowa; 31.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists (35 of 35 first place votes, 175 points*)

Cameron Brink, Stanford. 6-4; Senior; Beaverton, Ore.; 17.8 points, 12 rebounds 2.9 assists (33, 171)

JuJu Watkins, USC. 6-2; Freshman; Los Angeles; 27 points, 7.2 rebounds 3.2 assists (33, 169)

Paige Bueckers, Connecticut. 6-0; Junior; Hopkins, Minn.; 21.3, 4.8 rebounds, 53.8% field goal percentage (19, 141)

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame. 5-6; Freshman; Haddonfield, N.J.; 23.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists (19, 139)

SECOND TEAM

Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech. 6-6; Senior; Summerfield, N.C.; 22.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 55.6% field goal percentage (16, 131)

Angel Reese, LSU. 6-3; Junior; Baltimore, Md.; 19 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists (12, 123)

Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina. 6-7; Senior; Montes Claros, Brazil; 14 points, 9.5 rebounds, 58.4% field goal percentage (5, 105)

Madison Booker, Texas. 6-1; Freshman; Ridgeland, Miss.; 16.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists (1, 62)

Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State. 5-10; Senior; Dublin, Ohio; 18 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists (1, 52)

THIRD TEAM

Alissa Pili, Utah. 6-2; Senior; Anchorage, Alaska; 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 54.8% field goal percentage (0, 51)

Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana. 6-3; Senior; Gorham, Maine; 20 points, 6.9 rebounds, 66.7% field goal percentage (1, 31)

Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech. 5-6; Senior; Ballarat, Australia; 19.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists (0, 31)

Dyaisha Fair, Syracuse. 5-5; Senior; Rochester, N.Y.; 22 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists (0, 30)

Raegan Beers, Oregon State. 6-4; Sophomore; Littleton, Colo.; 17.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 66% field goal percentage (0, 26)

HONORABLE MENTION

Lauren Betts, UCLA; Audi Crooks, Iowa State; Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut; Yvonne Ejim Gonzaga; Lauren Gustin, BYU; McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State; Abbey Hsu, Columbia; Kiki Iriafen, Stanford; Rickea Jackson, Tennessee; Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State; Ayoka Lee, Kansas State; Cotie McMahon, Ohio State; Aneesah Morrow, LSU; Nika Muhl, Connecticut; Lucy Olsen, Villanova; Charisma Osborne, UCLA; Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina; J.J. Quinerly, West Virginia; Saniya Rivers, North Carolina State; Kiki Rice, UCLA; Jaylyn Sherrod, Colorado; Skylar Vann, Oklahoma.

Clark’s 2023-24 awards (so far)

* ESPN.com national player of the year

* The Athletic national player of the year

* Sporting News national player of the year

* Associated Press first-team All-America

* USBWA first-team all-America

* Big Ten player of the year

* First-team all-Big Ten

* Big Ten player of the week (11 times)

* WBCA national player of the week (8 times)

* Associated Press national player of the week (3 times)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com