NEW YORK – University of Iowa senior and No.1 WNBA Draft Pick, Caitlin Clark, is the winner of the AAU James E. Sullivan Award for the second year in a row, it was announced Tuesday. Clark is the first-ever two-time winner of the award in its 94-year history.
The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) since 1930 to the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the United States. In addition to athletic excellence, the AAU Sullivan Award recognizes the qualities of leadership, citizenship, character, and sportsmanship on and off the playing surface. Clark was determined the winner following a public vote, as well as votes from the AAU Sullivan Award Committee, AAU Board of Directors, sports media, and past winners. She was presented the award during a special ceremony on Tuesday at the New York Athletic Club.
Clark, who will now play for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, is the NCAA basketball all-time leading scorer and the only player in NCAA D1 Men’s or Women’s basketball history to lead her conference in scoring and assists in four consecutive seasons. Clark led the nation in 10 different offensive categories including averaging 31.6 points and 8.9 assists per game and also broke the NCAA women’s tournament scoring record in final NCAA Tournament run.
“Caitlin has accomplished something no other athlete has done by being a two-time AAU Sullivan Award winner, and we couldn’t be prouder,” said Jo Mirza, AAU President. “Beyond the court, her impact on women’s basketball and women’s sports in general cannot be overstated. She’s an incredible role model for our AAU athletes.”
The other finalists for this year’s award included Olympic wrestler David Taylor, Olympic speed skater Emery Lehman, Team USA gymnast Frederick Richard, Texas Volleyball champion Madisen Skinner, and U.S. Paralympic swimmer Noah Jaffe.
Prior winners of the prestigious AAU Sullivan Award include fellow University of Iowa athlete Spencer Lee (wrestling, 2019), Olympians Michael Phelps (swimming, 2003) and Shawn Johnson (gymnastics, 2008) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (football, 1997). A full list of recipients can be found here.
ABOUT THE AAU
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 800,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. For more information, visit www.aausports.org.