Caitlin Clark, a junior guard from the University of Iowa, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for Basketball as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 47 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 2023 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network in June.

Clark was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Aliyah Boston (South Carolina), Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana) and Maddy Siegrist (Villanova).

“It’s a huge honor to receive the Honda Award,” said Clark. “I picked a place that I perfectly fit into and that’s allowed me to show my skill set. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t mean something. It’s not the reason you play basketball- it’s just something that comes along with getting to do what you love. I also want to thank my teammates and coaches for being so supportive. I couldn’t have done it without you all.”

Clark, a junior from West Des Moines, Iowa, was named the 2023 Naismith and Wade Trophy winner along with the Associated Press and USBWA Ann Drysdale Player of the Year honors. The guard is also a two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award and is the first-ever three-time winner of the Dawn Staley Award.

She led her team to its first-ever NCAA Championship game and helped post the Hawkeye’s most wins in a single season. During the NCAA Tournament, she posted the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history (men’s or women’s) and broke the NCAA single-tournament records for most 3-point FG made (24) and most points scored (191). This season, she is the only player in the nation with 1,000 points, 240 rebounds, 310 assists and 45 steals.

Overall, Clark became the first player in Division I women’s basketball history to record more than 1,000 points and 300 assists in the same season and was fastest Division I player (men’s or women’s) to reach 1,500 career points over the last 20 seasons.

Off the court, she is a two-time First Team Academic All-American and was named the 2023 CSC Academic All-America of the Year.

“Caitlin is a tremendous basketball player and she’s an even better human,” stated P. Sue Beckwith, MD, head women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder. “She has worked so hard, so everything she is getting she deserves. She’s truly one of a kind and I couldn’t be prouder of how she represents the University of Iowa on and off the court.”

The CWSA, entering its 47th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.  

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.