Caitlin Clark has been a mainstay on The Associated Press All-America crew the previous few seasons.
The NCAA’s all-time scoring chief from Iowa was honored for the third straight 12 months Wednesday, changing into the eleventh participant to earn the excellence thrice. She was a unanimous alternative from the 35-member nationwide media panel that chooses the AP Top 25 every week.
Clark was joined on the primary crew by Stanford’s Cameron Brink, UConn’s Paige Bueckers and freshmen JuJu Watkins of USC and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame. They are solely the fourth and fifth freshmen to make the AP crew because it started in 1994-95, becoming a member of Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, UConn’s Maya Moore and Bueckers.
“We’ve had a front row seat to JuJu, but what Hannah’s done is unbelievable,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb mentioned. “Coach Niele (Ivey) has done an incredible job.”
Clark joins a choose group along with her third first-crew honor: South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston, Baylor’s Brittney Griner, Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw, Duke’s Alana Beard, Paris, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu, Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard and UConn’s Breanna Stewart and Moore. Paris and Moore did it 4 instances.
Clark, who earned second-crew honors as a freshman, led the nation in scoring averaging 31.9 factors per sport in addition to being tops in assists with 8.9. The Iowa native grew to become the primary Division I participant to have consecutive 1,000-level seasons and to additionally high 3,000 factors and 1,000 assists for her profession.
“That is mind-boggling when you think about it,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder mentioned. “I mean, everybody’s defensive plan is to stop her, and nobody’s been able to figure out really how to do it. She’s faced every kind of defense. She really knows how to pick them apart.”
Watkins took the nation by storm as a freshman. She has already scored 810 factors, which is fourth most for a freshman all-time. She averaged 27 factors, which was second behind Clark and added 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.5 blocks to assist the Trojans win the Pac-12 Tournament for the primary time since 2014. She is the primary USC participant to earn first-crew AP honors.
“JuJu came to a program that while there’s a proud history, there’s been nothing significant done in many, many years,” Gottlieb mentioned. “It’s very rare for a player of her level to go to a program that’s not already at the top. She’s answered every bell.”
Hidalgo was unbelievable on each ends of the ground for the Fighting Irish, serving to cause them to the ACC Tournament title. She averaged 23.3 factors, 6.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists and in addition led the nation in steals, averaging 4.6 a sport.
“She deserves to be listed amongst the best in women’s basketball,” Ivey mentioned. “Hannah is a fierce competitor and an elite performer who rises to the occasion and has been extremely consistent and dominant this season.”
Bueckers lastly made it via a season wholesome after lacking a lot of the previous two years due to accidents. She returned to the shape that earned her AP Player of the Year honors as a freshman, averaging 21.3 factors, 4.8 rebounds and three.7 assists for the Huskies.
“She’s one of those unique superstars that wants to be that at both ends of the floor,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma mentioned. “Not everyone values those same things. She gets a lot of enjoyment out of the rebounding that she can do, the blocked shots, the steals, stealing the inbounds pass on the out-of-bounds play. She just has a great sense of the game and what’s happening next. I think that’s probably why she’s never surprised, because I think she always knows what’s happening next.”
Brink averaged 17.8 factors, 12 rebounds and three.5 blocks, which led the nation. She grew to become solely the second participant previously 24 years to have 100 blocks and 100 assists in the identical season, becoming a member of Stewart, who did it thrice.
Brink is the primary Stanford participant to be honored as a primary-crew All-American since Chiney Ogwumike in 2013-14.
“Cam is the best two-way player in the nation and a dominant force at both ends,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer mentioned. “In addition to all the points, rebounds and blocks, she’s a selfless teammate and a willing passer who makes everyone around her better.”
Clark, Brink and Bueckers have been all on the preseason AP All-America crew. They have been joined by LSU’s Angel Reese, Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes and Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley.
The AP second crew was headlined by Kitley, who was the ACC participant of the 12 months for a 3rd straight season. She was joined by Reese, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, Texas’ Madison Booker and Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon.
The AP third crew was Utah’s Alissa Pili, Holmes, Syracuse’s Daisha Fair, Virginia Tech’s Georgia Amoore and Oregon State’s Reagan Beers,
Ayoka Lee of Kansas State, and Aaliyah Edwards of UConn have been the main vote-getters amongst gamers who didn’t make the three All-America groups. Players earned honorable-point out standing in the event that they appeared on one of many ballots.
___
AP March Madness protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
