What a ride this lady Hawkeyes team has been on as they prepare to take on South Carolina in their first Final Four matchup in 30 years tomorrow (March-31). As the Hawkeyes head into tomorrow night's matchup, one of the team's biggest stars has added a few awards to her 2022-2023 resume.

She actually received some pretty incredible news while making a trip to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital with some members of her team and her coaches. The children even helped with this annoucement. Get your tissues ready...


 

Caitlin Clark was named the Naismith Player of the Year this week and she can now add AP Women's Play of the Year to her list. I love the different responses she gets from her mother and father. As you can see in the video, her mom breaks down in tears and her father sarcastically says "about time." You can tell they're both extremely proud of her and what she and the team have accomplished this year.

While there has been plenty of news surrounding this Iowa star, it should be noted that she is constantly thanking her teammates and coaches.

This wouldn't be possible without every single one of you and I really mean that. I'm lucky that I'm here. I know it probably wouldn't be possible in other places. Thanks for believing in me and having my back.

Caitlin has had one of the greatest individual seasons in the history of the NCAA and more importantly, the team has reached highs they haven't seen in a very long time. According to US News, Caitlin recorded the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA history, in one of the team's most important games of the season, which helped propel them to the Final Four.

The AP player of the year is voted on by the Associated Press and Caitlin received 20 votes out of the possible 28 from the member national media panel. What makes this even better is this voting takes place before the NCAA tournament begins. Had it taken place during the tournament... I'm guessing Caitlin would've won in a clean sweep with all 28 votes.

In a press release from The University of Iowa, Caitlin spoke about how well she fits being a Hawkeye and her love of the game.

It’s a huge honor. 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.

Head Coach Lisa Bluder also spoke about how amazing Clark really is. She said

Caitlin is spectacular. I don’t know how else to describe what she does on the basketball court. It’s funny, because the better the opponent, almost the better she plays. It’s like she locks in on those when we’re playing against Top 25 teams. That’s when her statistics even go up even more, against great opponents.

Regardless of what happens in the Final Four, this has been one heck of a ride to be on with Caitlin and the entire team. It feels like the entire state has rallied behind this program and it's been a lot of fun to be a part of. I saw this shirt the other day when I was out running errands that had to have been from the store RAYGUN. It said "Iowa, The Women's Basketball State." That t-shirt would be correct.

Best Photos From A Magical Weekend at Carver-Hawkeye Arena

On Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26, 2023, the Iowa men's and women's basketball teams pulled off last-second victories against Michigan State and Indiana.
On Saturday, the men became just the 4th team in college basketball history to overcome an 11-point deficit with less than 1 minute to play.
On Sunday, the #6 Iowa women defeated #2 Indiana on a 3-point shot at the buzzer by Caitlin Clark.

Iowa Born Sports Stars

What do each of these stellar athletes have in common? They all hail from the Hawkeye State.