Iowa women’s basketball star guard Caitlin Clark was named the winner of the 93rd AAU James E. Sullivan Award, the university announced Tuesday.
Since 1930, the award has been given annually to the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the United States. The winner is determined by AAU Sullivan Award Committee, AAU Board of Directors, sports media, and past winners.
Former Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee took home the award in 2019 and is the only other Hawkeye to earn the honor in school history. The 125-pounder is a three-time NCAA champion and two-time Dan Hodge Trophy recipient.
“I am incredibly humbled,” Clark said in a release. “It is an honor to be selected for this prestigious award that elects a student-athlete that excels on the court and in the classroom. All the finalists are equally as deserving. It is special to represent the University of Iowa on this stage.”
The other finalists for the award included Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, University of Tennessee swimmer Jordan Crooks, Olympic swimmer Kate Douglass, and Purdue basketball center Zach Edey.
Other athletes who have received the honor include the most decorated Olympian of all time, swimmer Michael Phelps, former NFL QB Peyton Manning, and Iowa native Shawn Johnson, who won a gold medal for her performance on the balance beam in the 2008 Olympics.
This past season, Clark led the Hawkeyes to their first national title game appearance and the squad’s most wins in a single season. Iowa advanced to the NCAA Championship after taking down unbeaten and top-ranked South Carolina in the Final Four behind Clark’s 41 points.
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 the most 3-pointers made and most points scored.
The West Des Moines, Iowa, native 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.
She was named the 2023 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year Award and took home the 2023 Naismith, Wooden, and Wade Trophies along with the Associated Press and USBWA Ann Drysdale Player of the Year honors.
“Caitlin Clark is the epitome of what this award represents,” AAU President Jo Mirza said. “We’re honored to have her name forever entwined with the AAU Sullivan Award, and we can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next.”