Caitlin Clark Becomes Fourth Athlete to Win 2 Honda Cup Awards

Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes looks on during an open practice ahead of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio., on April 4, 2024. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark is in the midst of her first professional season as a member of the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. But the former standout of the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team is still collecting awards for her amateur accomplishments, with the latest on Monday night.

Clark won the prestigious Honda Cup, which is awarded to the top women’s collegiate athlete across all sports. It was the second for Clark, who also claimed the award last season. To qualify, an athlete must have won the Honda Sports Award within their sport, which Clark did for basketball in April over fellow finalists JuJu Watkins of USC, Paige Bueckers of UConn and Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech.

Thus, Clark was the basketball nominee and one of 12 college athletes up for the Honda Cup. The other finalists, who all won the Honda Sports Award for their sports, included gymnast Haleigh Bryant, who was the NCAA All-Around champion at LSU, volleyball player Madisen Skinner, who was the Most Outstanding Player in leading Texas to a national championship, and softball pitcher NiJaree Candy, who was an All-American at Stanford.

The award ceremony took place in New York City, but Clark couldn’t attend due to her WNBA schedule. The Fever played at Chicago on Sunday and are in the midst of a four-game road trip that includes stops in Seattle, Phoenix and Las Vegas. However, she appeared at the ceremony virtually and commented on what the achievement of becoming the fourth two-time Honda Cup winner meant to her, especially since her idol, Maya Moore, is one of those four to win multiple Honda Cups.

“I think it’s pretty special. I know how important this award is and how many great people have come before me like you’ve mentioned. Maya Moore was my idol growing up, so now to be on the same list as her is pretty absolutely incredible,” Clark stated.

“But I was very fortunate in my college career—obviously my coaches are there tonight accepting the award on my behalf. It doesn’t happen without them, those two there and the rest of our coaching staff but also the teammates I had through the years, they let me be myself, and also I wouldn’t have gotten to the point I got to if it wasn’t for them.

“So, it’s just really special. This award really means a lot, it’s a first-class award. Congratulations to all of you, especially the finalists. I’m a big fan of all of yours. I watch as much women’s sports just as much as anybody. So, congratulations.”

Moore won the award in 2010 and 2011 following her seasons with the UConn women’s basketball program. The other two-time winners are swimmer Tracy Caulkins, who won in 1982 and 1984 with the Florida Gators, and softball player Rachel Garcia, who won in 2019 and 2021 with the UCLA Bruins.

In the 2023–24 college basketball season, Clark became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer and swept the sport’s national awards, winning the AP Player of the Year, Wooden Award and Naismith Award. She also set a single-season women’s record for points, became the women’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers and became the women’s NCAA Tournament’s all-time leader in points, assists, and 3-pointers made.

She was also a unanimous first-team All-American, was named Big Ten Player of the Year and led the Hawkeyes to a program-best 34 wins and an appearance in the National Championship Game. Her amateur accomplishments led to her being the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, and Clark has had an up-and-down first year in the pros, which is the norm for rookies in any sport.

At the Honda Cup awards ceremony, Clark was asked what was the most important lesson she learned in college that she can now apply to her professional career.

“Oh gosh, there’s been a lot of them. I think Coach [Lisa] Bluder has always preached throughout my career is, first of all, be where your feet are,” said Clark. “Don’t ever let any moment slip you by. This life that I get to live, I’m very grateful for, no matter the highs and lows. There’s so many people that would really want to be in my shoes or be in any of us shoes’ as athletes. So, I think just being grateful for it but also that pressure is a privilege. I know that there’s a lot of pressure on my shoulders, and I’m very grateful for that. I think it’s something you can rise to the occasion and just embrace. So, I’d probably say those two things.”