With Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark Making Moves Ahead of Angel Reese, Which Players Have Clinched The Wooden Award in Last 10 Years

The NCAA women’s basketball season commenced on November 6 and so did the race to win the Wooden Award. The Iowa Hawkeyes point guard Caitlin Clark, the University of Connecticut point guard Paige Bueckers, and the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers stretch-four Angel Reese are among the top contestants who can probably take the award home this season. 

The award is given annually to the best player in the men’s and women’s college basketball circuit, and is named after Purdue star John R. Wooden. The award is given by the Los Angeles Atheltic Club and is a tribute to the ‘Wizard of Westwood’. As the competition for the award reaches its zenith, it would be apt to reminisce the players who have bagged the prestigious prize the last 10 years.

Caitlin Clark 2022-23 Iowa Hawkeyes

Clark clinched the award last year with the Iowa Hawkeyes making an appearance in the Championship Finale against the LSU Lady Tigers. Though, the Hawkeyes were trumped by margin of 102-85, it did not deter Clark for getting the recognition she deserved for her outstanding performance. Overall, the 21-year-old smashed 27.8 points on an average with 7.1 rebounds per contest and 8.6 assists per match.

Aliyah Boston 2021-22 South Carolina Gamecocks

Once a contemporary of Clark in the NCAA, the South Carolina Gamecocks power forward Aliyah Boston won the award during her junior year in 2021-22. Boston took home the Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year titles while averaging an outstanding 16.8 points with 12.5 rebounds per match and 2 assists per game. 

Paige Bueckers 2020-21 University of Connecticut Huskies 

The UConn point guard Bueckers made history by becoming only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award during her freshman year. The UConn had a terrific season and occupied the top seed position in the NCAA tournament before falling to the Arizona in the Final Four. Bueckers’ contribution cannot be forgotten as she averaged a whopping 20 points with 4.9 rebounds per match and 5.8 assists per game. 

Sabrina Ionescu 2019-2020 Oregon Ducks 

The Oregon Ducks point guard Sabrina Ionescu took home all the major player awards including the Naismith Player of the Year and the Wooden award. Ionescu averaged 17.5 points throughout the season with 8.6 rebounds per match and 9.1 assists per game. This was consecutively for the second year when Ionescu sealed the award.

Sabrina Ionescu 2018-2019 Oregon Ducks 

Ionescu grabbed the award even during her junior year. Due to her spectacular performance, the Ducks progressed to the Final Four before losing to Baylor. However, Ionescu proved her mettle with a dominant average of 19.9 points with 7.4 rebounds per match and 8.2 assists per contest. The California-born also bagged the Wade Trophy for her astounding display.

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A’ja Wilson 2017-18 South Carolina Gamecocks

The South Carolina Gamecocks A’ja Wilson was awarded with the Wooden Award during the 2017-18 season. The Gamecocks won the SEC tournament, earning an automatic place in the NCAA competition. They were going pole to pole before stumbling to the Connecticut in the Elite Eight. Overall, Wilson averaged 22.6 points with 11.8 rebounds per game and 1.7 assists per match.

Kelsey Plum 2016-17 Washington Huskies

The Washington Huskies point guard Kelsey Plum was named the Wooden Award winner following her team’s respectable performance of making it to the Sweet Sixteen. Plum’s exemplary display was evident when she basketed 57 points in the Pac-12 match against the Utah which is record breaking performance. Overall, Plum averaged a humongous 31.7 points with 5.1 rebounds per match and 4.8 assists per game.

Breanna Stewart 2015-16 University of Connecticut Huskies

The UConn forward Breanna Stewart won the award in 2015-16 season which was also her consecutive year in the award’s history. This was the fifth time a UConn player had her hand at the coveted prize while the Huskies also won the national championship. Overall, Stewart smoked 19.4 points per game with 8.7 rebounds per contest and 4 assists per match. This was Stewart’s final year with the Huskies who then advanced to the WNBA.

Breanna Stewart 2014-15 University of Connecticut Huskies

The Huskies clinched the NCAA title by decimating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Stewart played a pivotal role in her team’s triumph as she averaged 17.6 points with 7.8 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per match. An interesting fact to note was that Stewart won the NCAA championship in all her four years with the Huskies from 2013-16.

Chiney Ogwumike 2013-14 Stanford Cardinals

Stanford Cardinals’ forward Chiney Ogwumike became the first Cardinals’ women player to take home the Wooden award. Though the Cardinals were defeated by the Huskies in the Final Four, they had quite a wonderful run throughout the season. Ogwumike averaged 26.1 points per match with 12.1 rebounds per contest and 1.7 assists per game.

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If Bueckers or Clark win the award this season then it would be their second whereas if Reese, who also has a flurry of records to her name, takes home the title, then it would be her maiden. Another possibility is for the USC’s freshman JuJu Watkins to become the fifth player to win the award in her debut season. Whatever be the result, in the end the game would win.