B1G Honors Caitlin Clark, Payton Sandfort

Hawkeye Hoopers Named Conference Players of the Week

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa's Caitlin Clark and Payton Sandfort earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors the conference office announced on Monday. Clark earned the weekly award for the 11th time this season and 29th time in her career, both conference records. Sandfort was recognized for the first time in his career. 

Clark recorded her 17th career triple-double against Minnesota finishing with 33 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native tallied her sixth of the season which is the best in the country. She also eclipsed Lynette Woodard’s AIAW all-time scoring title.

In Iowa’s win over, No. 2 Ohio State on Sunday, Clark surpassed LSU’s Pete Maravich to become the NCAA’s men’s and women’s scoring champion. Clark recorded her 19th game with 35+ points, 5+ assists, 5+ rebounds which is the best in NCAA women’s basketball since 2009-10.

Sandfort claimed the honor after averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, eight assists and 1.5 blocks in leading the Hawkeyes to wins over Penn State and at Northwestern. He shot 40 percent from the field and 96 percent from the free throw line in the two games.

The Waukee (IA) High graduate opened the week by recording the first triple-double in Iowa history (and the first in the Big Ten this season). He finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks, tying a career-best in points and posting career-highs in assists and blocks.

The performance was the first 26-10-10-3 game in regulation since Marquette’s Dwyane Wade against top-seeded Kentucky in the 2003 NCAA Tournament.

Sandfort is leading the team in scoring (16.7 points) and tied for the team-lead in rebounding (6.5 rebounds). The forward, who has a team-best nine 20-point games, is leading the league in 3-point field goals (78), free throw percentage (.918) and is second in 3-point field goal percentage (.370).

The Big Ten weekly honor is the 11th for the program this season. Ben Krikke was the Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 20 and Owen Freeman has been honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week nine times.