Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark Named National Player of the Week

Caitlin Clark, Iowa women's basketball star, is having an outstanding season thus far for the Hawkeyes.

The West Des Moines, Iowa native is averaging 25.4 points while shooting 40% from the field and 90% from the free-throw line, hauling in 8.4 rebounds, and dishing out 8.2 assists per contest.

After her fourth triple-double that came in a 105-49 win over Minnesota on January 20, she became the first player in Big Ten history to record more than three in a season. It all happened through the first 15 games of the year.

She's playing at the level of a National Player of the Year, and she just earned herself an award that may be the foreshadowing Iowa fans are looking for. After winning the Big Ten Player of the Week for the fourth week in a row (and her 28th weekly conference honor for her career -- 13 freshman, 10 player, and five honor roll), it was announced that Clark took home the Naismith Women's National Player of the Week as well.

This is what she told the Daily Iowan in regards to her recent performances on the court:

When you start playing really good competition, I think that brings out the best in a competitor and that’s who I am. I think that’s what my team needs but I’m not really about scoring … I think it’s the other things that can set me apart and help this team be great.

After her 17 assists last night in the 107-79 win over Penn State, this is what she told the Big Ten Network:

To get an assist, your teammates have to make the shots, so a lot of the credit goes to them. That's just fun basketball when we're playing like that. ... That's Iowa basketball at its finest right there, and that's what we take pride in every single day at practice, so we love it.

Forward McKenna Warnock put up 25 points and center Monika Czinano added 24 points in addition to Clark's 20 in the contest.

Up next, the Hawkeye women will take on Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois at 7 p.m. on Friday. The game can be watched on the Big Ten+ Network.