WBB Notebook: Final Notes

HAWK(EYES) ON THE SEASON

• The Iowa Hawkeyes were 24-8 overall and finished Big Ten play 14-4 to clench a share of the Big Ten Regular Season title — Ohio State shares the regular-season title. Iowa clenched a share of the Big Ten Regular Season title on Feb. 27 — Ohio State shares the regular season title. The Hawkeyes followed up the regular season title with the Big Ten Tournament title with a win over Indiana on March 6 — the first time in program history that the Hawkeyes won both in the same season. The Hawkeyes’ have tallied 14 Big Ten Championships (10 regular, 4 tournament) in program history, winning their first regular-season title since 2008 and the second tournament title in four years (2019, 2022).
• Iowa defeated 18 of its 31 opponents by double figures, including 12 20-plus point wins (six in Big Ten play).
• The Hawkeyes led the country in field-goal percentage (.502) and free-throw percentage (.846) and ranked in the top-35 in eight additional categories, including second in scoring offense (84.2), third in assists per game (19.6), sixth in total assists (627), seventh in assist turnover ratio (1.35), eighth in defensive rebounds per game (29.8), 11th in free throws made (482), 17th in scoring margin (14.0) and 31st in 3-point percentage (.351).
• Sophomore Caitlin Clark led the nation in assists per game (8.0), points per game (27.0), final points (863), free throws made (200), triple-doubles (5) and 30-point games (11) and ranked second in total assists (257), third in field goals made (286), fourth in free-throw attempts (227), 12th in 3-pointers made (91), 14th in 3-pointers per game (2.84), 18th in double-doubles (17) and free-throw percentage (88.1) and 19th in defensive rebounds per game (7.6).
• Clark was named the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year and Dawn Staley Guard of the Year Award recipient. She was also named a Naismith finalist and to the WBCA Wade Trophy finalist, John R. Wooden Award finalist and All-American. She is a 2021-22 first team AP All-American, USBWA All-American, WBCA All-American and All-Region honoree and first team CoSIDA Academic All-American.
• Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Year and earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors (coaches and media). Czinano earned first team all-Big Ten honors (coaches and media) — her third Big Ten postseason honors — and junior McKenna Warnock earned second team All-Big Ten honors by the media and was selected as an honor roll honoree by the coaches.
• Iowa has made 14 consecutive postseason appearances (12 NCAA, 2 WNIT) when a postseason tournament was held. The 2020 postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Hawkeyes have made postseason tournament appearances in 20 of head coach Lisa Bluder’s 22 seasons at Iowa, receiving 16 NCAA Tournament and four WNIT (2003, 2005, 2016, 2017) bids, including three Sweet 16 appearances — most recently in 2021.
• Bluder registered her 800th win this season and is one-of-five active Division I women’s head coaches with 115 or more wins in their career. She completed her 38th season as a head coach and 22nd at Iowa.
• Bluder owns a 463-242 (.657) record and a 233-139 (.626) conference mark at Iowa. In her 38 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 819-384 (.681).

BEST IN THE NATION

• Sophomore Caitlin Clark led the nation in total points (863), assists per game (8.0), points per game (27.0), free throws made (200), triple doubles (5) and 30-point games (11), while ranking second in total assists (257), third in field goals made (286), fourth in free throw attempts (227), 12th in 3-pointers made (91), 14th in 3-pointers per game (2.84), 18th in free-throw percentage (.881) and double-doubles (17) and 19th in defensive rebounds per game (7.6). 
• Senior Monika Czinano led the nation in field-goal percentage (.679) and ranked sixth in field goals made (277), 11th in total points (656) and 12th in points per game (21.2).

WHERE THEY RANKED AS A TEAM

• The Hawkeyes led the country in field-goal percentage (.502) and free-throw percentage (.846).
• Iowa ranked in the top-50 in 10 additional categories, including second in scoring offense (84.2), third in assists per game (19.6), sixth in total assists (627), seventh in assist turnover ratio (1.35), eighth in defensive rebounds per game (29.8), 11th in free throws made (482), 17th in scoring margin (14.0), 31st in 3-point percentage (.351), 37th in win-lost percentage (.750) and 47th in 3-pointers made (237).

NCAA FIRST ROUND

• No. 2 seed Iowa Hawkeyes defeated No. 15 seed Illinois State Redbirds, 98-58, in the NCAA Tournament First Round, improving Iowa’s first-round record to 13-7 all time.
• Iowa’s 98 points are the most that the program has scored in a NCAA Tournament game, besting the previous record (89) set against Oregon during the 2001 tournament.
• Sophomore Caitlin Clark registered her 16th season and 25th career double-double with 27 points and 10 assists. 
• Four Hawkeyes scored in double-figures, including Clark (27), senior Monika Czinano (18), senior Tomi Taiwo (13) and junior Gabbie Marshall (13).
• Iowa shot 20-21 from the free-throw line, recording the Hawkeyes’ best free-throw percentage in an NCAA Tournament game.
• Iowa set its own NCAA Tournament assist record against Illinois State, tallying 25.
• Redshirt junior Kate Martin tied her career-high blocks with three on the day.

GUARD OF THE YEAR

• Sophomore Caitlin Clark was named the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year and the Dawn Staley Guard of the Year, the Hoops Hall of Fame and the Phoenix Club of Philadelphia announced, respectively, on April 1.
• 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.
• In its 10th year, the Dawn Staley Award is given to the most outstanding collegiate guard in the country; a player who exemplifies the skills that Dawn possessed during her career — ball handling, scoring, ability to distribute the basketball and will to win. Clark is the first student-athlete to win the award in back-to-back seasons.

AMONG THE BEST

• Sophomore Caitlin Clark was named a Naismith finalist, WBCA Wade Trophy finalist, John R. Wooden Award finalist and Honda Sport Award Finalist.
• The Naismith Award recognizes the most outstanding women’s college basketball player and Clark was one of four finalists. 
• The Wade Trophy — now in its 45th year — is the oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award in college women’s basketball. It is named in honor of the late, legendary Delta State University head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen. First awarded in 1978 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), now known as SHAPE America, the Wade Trophy has been presented to the WBCA NCAA Division I National Player of the Year since 2001.
• Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program recognizes the Division I Women’s Basketball Most Outstanding Player. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for 46 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”.  The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2022 Honda Cup which will be presented on CBS Sports Network.

ALL-AMERICANS

• Sophomore Caitlin Clark was named a John R. Wooden Award All-American, Naismith All-American, first team AP All-American, USBWA All-American and WBCA All-American.
• Czinano earned AP All-America Honorable Mention and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention honors.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE THREAT

• Sophomore Caitlin Clark registered five triple-doubles this season, tallying six in her career.
• 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.
• Clark 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. Clark registered 35 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists at Minnesota (Jan. 20) and 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Nebraska (Jan. 16).
• The Des Moines, Iowa, native is the first Big Ten women’s basketball player to register consecutive triple-doubles and five triple doubles in one season.

CLIMBING THE 1,000-POINT LIST

• Senior Monika Czinano has tallied 629 points this season, racking up 1,736 career points and ranking ninth on Iowa’s all-time leading scorers list.
• Sophomore Caitlin Clark has 848 points on the season and 1,647 career points, ranking 10th on Iowa’s all-time leading scorers list.
• Clark recorded 32 points at Rutgers (Feb. 24), giving her 1,504 points in 56 career games (26.9 PPG) — the fastest Division I player (men’s or women’s) to reach 1,500 career points over the last 20 seasons.

B1G HONORS FOR B1G STARS

• Sophomore Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Year (coaches and media) and was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP.
• Clark also earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors (coaches & media) — her second first team honors — and was selected to the All-Big Ten Tournament team.
• Senior Monika Czinano earned first team All-Big Ten accolades (coaches and the media) — her third Big Ten honors — and was selected to the All-Big Ten Tournament team.
• Junior McKenna Warnock earned second team All-Big Ten Honors by the media and was honorable mention from the coaches — her first Big Ten postseason honors. 
• Redshirt junior Kate Martin was named Iowa’s Sportsmanship Award honoree for the second-consecutive year. 

CENTER OF ATTENTION

• Senior Monika Czinano was named to the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Top-10 Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Feb. 11.
• The list was comprised of 10 student-athletes who were front-runners for the award named after the three-time All-American and 1994 National Player of the Year. The annual award, in its fifth year, recognizes the top centers in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION 

• Clark was named the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week twice this season, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced Jan. 18 and March 1. 
• Clark has earned six USBWA Weekly honors in her career — she earned four as a freshman. 
• After scoring 46 points against No. 6 Michigan, sophomore Caitlin Clark was named ESPN National Player of the Week (Feb. 7). 
• Clark also earned Naismith National Player of the Week on Jan. 25 after nearly averaging a triple double in wins over Minnesota (Jan. 20) and Illinois (Jan. 23) with 26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and nine assists per game. She shot 22-for-38 (.579) from the field and 6-for-11 (.545) from 3-point range. 
• Clark has been named to the NCAA Starting Five two times this season (Jan. 5, March 2). As a freshman, she earned the honor four times.

THE B1G COUNT CONTINUES 

• Sophomore Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week the seven times this season.
• Clark has earned 32 Big Ten honors in her career. Earlier this season, Clark earned Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 6, Jan. 3, Jan. 10, Jan. 17, Jan. 24, Feb 7, Feb. 28) and Honor Roll (Nov. 15, Jan. 31, Feb. 14). 
• As a freshman she tallied a Big Ten-best 13 Freshman of the Week honors, a Big Ten-Freshman record five Player of the Week honors and four Player of the Week Honor Roll nods. 

B1G TIME FRESHMAN 

• Freshman Addison O’Grady earned her first Big Ten Weekly honor on Jan. 3. 
• O’Grady’s first Big Ten weekly honor came after registering her first career double-double in the Hawkeyes’ win over Evansville (Jan. 2). 
• The Aurora, Colorado, native tallied season-best points (14) and rebounds (12), shot 70 percent from the field and blocked two shots.

STUDENT-ATHLETES… EMPHASIS ON STUDENT

• All nine eligible Hawkeyes were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team, including Caitlin Clark, Logan Cook, Monika Czinano, Sharon Goodman, Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin, Tomi Taiwo, McKenna Warnock and Shateah Wetering.
• Clark was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American for her efforts in the classroom and on the court.
• Nine Hawkeyes were named to the Iowa Dean’s List, including Sydney Affolter, Addison O’Grady, Clark, Cook, Czinano, Goodman, Marshall, Martin and Taiwo. 
• Sophomore Sharon Goodman was named to the Iowa President’s list for maintaining a 4.0 GPA.