NEW YORK – Caitlin Clark joined her idol Maya Moore as a two-time Honda Cup winner, claiming the prestigious award for the second consecutive year on Monday night.
The former Iowa star, who finished her career as Division I's all-time scoring leader, joined Moore (2010, 2011), Tracy Caulkins (1982, 1984) and Rachel Garcia (2019, 2021) as the only people to achieve it.
“It's hard to understand,” Clark told the AP in a telephone interview Monday night. “To be in the same air as her is pretty incredible. She's someone I grew up idolizing since I was 10 and I wanted to do everything like her.”
Clark was unable to attend the awards ceremony because she is in the middle of her first season in the WNBA, starring the Indiana Fever. She missed the opportunity to spend time with the other Honda Cup finalists.
“It sucks,” Clark said of missing the show. “What makes this event so fun is meeting people outside of your sport. Hearing about their lives and what they do.”
The Honda Cup honors the nation's top NCAA women's athletes not only for what they do athletically, but also for their leadership, academic excellence and enthusiasm for engaging in community service. The ceremony moved to New York this year after spending the previous 12 years in Los Angeles.
“It's great that they're doing it here this year,” said Northwestern lacrosse player Izzy Scane, who was also honored as best in her sport last year. “It's great to be able to see New York.”
This year there was a tie in voting for the three finalists, resulting in four notable honorees. In addition to Clark, the others were Texas volleyball player Madisen Skinner, LSU gymnast Haleigh Bryant and Stanford softball player NiJaree Canady.
Clark, a two-time Associated Press Player of the Year, is the 18th basketball player to win the award.
“In our 48-year history, only a handful of athletes have won the Honda Cup twice,” said Chris Voelz, executive director of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards. “Just as she achieved numerous historic firsts in her senior year, Caitlin Clark makes history with us as the fourth two-time winner of the Cup and only the second to win it consecutively. With exceptional class, we are delighted to welcome her to brotherhood of all-time college athletics greats and we eagerly anticipate the continued impact of their influence on our culture and the nation's sports community.”
Fellow USC basketball player Aaliyah Gayles was honored as a Honda Inspiration Award winner. She has been an inspiration since the April night of 2022 when she survived being shot several times at a house party in North Las Vegas. She signed her national letter of intent to play at USC from her hospital bed. She has been a reserve for the Trojans, who won the Pac-12 tournament last year.
“It's inspiring to know that people look up to me and when they read my story, they think I'm a superhero,” Gayles said. “A lot of people listen to me, recognize me for who I am and love my story.”
Gretchen Walsh of Virginia was unable to attend the awards ceremony because she was at the U.S. swimming trials for the Olympics. Walsh qualified. Florida's Parker Valby also missed the ceremony because he was trying to qualify for the Paris Games in track and field.
Two of the finalists in attendance are hoping to compete at the Paris Olympics next month. Florida State's Joe Echegini hopes to play for the Nigerian soccer team and Division II Honda Athlete of the Year, Minnesota State's Denisha Cartwright, is headed to the Bahamas Olympic Trials in the 100-meter hurdles.
