IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa women’s basketball sophomore Caitlin Clark was named to the Dawn Staley Late Season Watch List, the Phoenix Club of Philadelphia announced on Saturday.
The Dawn Staley Award is given annually to a player who exemplifies the skills that she possesses; ball handling, scoring, her ability to distribute the basketball and her will to win. Michigan State’s Nia Clouden and Penn State’s Makenna Marisa also were named to the watch list.
In the 2021-22 season, the Des Moines, Iowa, native is having a record-breaking season, registering five triple-doubles this season and leads 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 their career and ties fifth most single season (5) and career (6) triple-doubles in NCAA Division I history.
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 to do so with 30-plus points in the pair.
In her second season with the Hawkeyes, Clark set a career-high 44 points in the Hawkeyes’ win over Evansville. With 5:04 left in the first quarter, Clark broke the 1,000-career point barrier, 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) and Clark is tied with Nebraska’s Rachel Theriot who had 18 assists against Minnesota on March 7, 2014 in the B1G Tournament.
This season, the sophomore is averaging 26.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and eight assists per game, while shooting 89.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Clark won the Dawn Staley Award last season after leading the nation as a freshman in total assists (214), total points (799), points per game (26.6), field goals made (266), 3-pointers made (116), and ranked second in assists per game (7.1) and 3-pointers per game (3.87).