Caitlin Clark, Keegan Murray Wooden Finalists

Iowa Basketball Sophomores in Contention for National Player of Year

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) calls out a play while Creighton’s Rachel Saunders (13) defends during an NCAA Tournament second-round game on March 20, 2022 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa women’s and men's basketball sophomores Caitlin Clark and Keegan Murray were named a John R. Wooden Award finalists, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Wednesday.

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program recognizes the Division I Women’s Basketball Most Outstanding Player. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.

Clark joins South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, Michigan’s Naz Hillmon, Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard and Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith as one of five finalists for the Wooden Player of the Year Award.

Clark, a Des Moines, Iowa, native, led the nation in points per game (27.0), assists per game (8.0), total assists (257), total points (863), free throws made (200), triple doubles (5) and 30-point games (11). Clark is the only women’s basketball player to lead the country in both assists per game and points per game in a single season.

Clark registered five triple-doubles this season, leading the country in most career triple-doubles by an active player with six. Clark’s six career triple-doubles ties former Hawkeye Sam Logic’s Big Ten record (2011-15) for most in a career and ties for the fifth most single season (5) and career (6) triple-doubles in NCAA Division I history.

In January, Clark joined the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Hardin, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA, WNBA, Division I men’s and women’s basketball to record back-to-back 30-point triple doubles since 2000. She is one of 10 women’s basketball players (15 times) to register back-to-back triple doubles in their careers — the only NCAA player (male or female) to do so with 30-plus points in the pair.

Clark broke the 1,000-career point barrier against Evansville in early January and became the fastest Division I player (men’s or women’s) to reach 1,500 career points over the last 20 seasons, reaching the feat in 56 games.

Clark set a career-high 46 points against No. 6 Michigan, recording her third arena scoring record. She now holds women’s scoring records at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena (44), Michigan’s Crisler Center (46) and Nebraska’s Pinnacle Bank Arena (39).

Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Tournament MVP, while earning unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors and an All-Big Ten Tournament spot. She was named a Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year finalist, Dawn Staley Award finalist, Naismith finalist and to the WBCA Wade Trophy finalist, John R. Wooden Award finalist and All-American. She is a 2021-22 first team AP All-American, USBWA All-American, WBCA All-Region and first team CoSIDA Academic All-American.

Joining Murray as a finalist for the esteemed award on the men's side are Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Drew Timme (Gonzaga), and Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky). All five players have been invited to Los Angeles for the 46th annual presentation of the Wooden Award.

Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee,

This marks the third consecutive season that Iowa has had a Wooden Award Finalist: Luka Garza (2020 and 2021) and Murray (2022). Garza was the recipient of the national award last year.

Murray is also a finalist for the following national awards: Naismith Men’s Basketball Player of the Year Trophy, Lute Olson National Player of the Year, Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year, and Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year.

Earlier this month, Murray became the program’s fourth consensus first-team All-American, joining Murray Wier (1948), Charles Darling (1952), and Garza (2020 and 2021).

Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) ranks first in the country in Player Efficiency Rating (37.8); fourth in points per game (23.5); 34th in field goal percentage (.554); 46th in blocks per contest (1.94); and 51st in double-doubles (10). His 23.5 points per game average is tops among players from a major conference and marks the third consecutive season a Hawkeye has led the Big Ten in scoring (Garza in 2020 and 2021). Murray was the only player nationally to average 23+ points and 8+ rebounds this season.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native tallied 20+ points 26 times and 25+ points 16 times this season, both of which rank first nationally. Murray was

He was named Big Ten Player of the Week a program-best six times this season (Nov. 22; Dec. 20; Jan. 3; Feb. 14; Feb. 28, March 6). .

2022 KEEGAN MURRAY HONORS

• John R. Wooden Award Finalist, All-American

• Naismith Player of the Year Trophy Finalist

• Lute Olson National Player of the Year Finalist

• Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Finalist

• Consensus First Team All-America
• Sporting News First Team All-America

• Associated Press FirsGreyC@rl041t Team All-America

• USBWA First Team All-America

• The Athletic First Team All-America

• NABC Second Team All-America Team

• NABC First Team All-District Team

• USBWA All-District VI Team

• All-Big Ten First Team honoree (unanimous)

• Associated Press All-Big Ten First Team selection (unanimous)

• Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team
• Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Finalist

• NABC First Team All-District
• The Athletic Midseason Second Team All-America
• Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week (Feb. 14)

• Big Ten Co-Player of the Week (March 7)

• Big Ten Player of the Week (Feb. 28)
• Big Ten Co-Player of the Week (Feb. 14)
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Jan. 3)
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 20)
• Big Ten Co-Player of the Week (Nov. 22)