DALLAS — University of Iowa junior Caitlin Clark has been named the 2023 Associated Press Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year. The announcement was made on Thursday by the AP.

She received 20 votes from the 28-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Voting was done before the NCAA Tournament began.

“It’s a huge honor,” Clark said. “I picked a place that I perfectly fit into and that’s allowed me to show my skill set. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t mean something. It’s not the reason you play basketball, it’s just something that comes along with getting to do what you love.”

Clark is the second Hawkeye, and Big Ten student-athlete, to earn the distinction since the award was established in 1995. Iowa’s Megan Gustafson was the recipient of the national award after her historic season in 2019.