On June 25, Caitlin Clark, the top pick in the WNBA draft, was named the 2024 Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, successfully defending her title and joining her idol Maya Moore in a select group. Clark has often cited Moore, a former Minnesota Lynx great, as her inspiration.
The Honda Cup, established in 1976, recognizes the top female college athlete across 12 NCAA sports, with four nominees per sport. The 12 sport winners then compete for the Honda Cup. Clark, in basketball, outshone Paige Bueckers from UConn, Elizabeth Kitley from Virginia Tech, and USC freshman Watkin to claim the honor and later emerged as the overall Honda Cup recipient.
Following her win last year, Clark becomes the fourth two-time winner alongside Moore (2010, 2011), swimming Olympic champion Tracy Caulkins (1982, 1984), and softball pitcher Rachel Garcia (2019, 2021). Speaking to the Associated Press, Clark expressed her admiration for Moore:
“It’s unbelievable to be mentioned with her. It’s surreal. She’s been my idol since I was 10. I strive to be like her in everything.”
Moore, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 WNBA draft, won a championship in her rookie season with the Lynx and went on to secure three more titles, establishing herself as a key figure in the team’s success. She also won two NCAA championships at UConn and led her Chinese team to three consecutive titles.
Unfortunately, due to her WNBA commitments, Clark couldn’t attend the ceremony, missing the opportunity to interact with the other finalists. Commenting on this, she said:
“It’s unfortunate (not attending). Meeting people outside of your sport, that’s what makes this ceremony so cool. You get to learn about their lives and their hobbies.”
Clark is the 18th basketball player to receive the award and the sixth since the turn of the millennium, following Candace Parker (2008), Moore (2011), Brittney Griner (2013), Breanna Stewart (2016), and Aliyah Boston (2023). Notably, basketball legend Diana Taurasi was twice named the top college basketball player but did not win the Honda Cup.
