“Steph Curry of women’s basketball”: College hoops world celebrates Caitlin Clark's AP Player of the Year award for second straight season

Top-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes standout Caitlin Clark secured back-to-back AP Player of the Year honors, adding another feather to her cap ahead of the Final Four clash against No. 3 seed UConn Huskies.

The accolade, determined by a 35-member national media panel, saw Clark overwhelmingly endorsed with 34 votes, with Stanford's Cameron Brink snagging the lone dissenting vote.

Clark joined an elite group, becoming just the sixth player to clinch the award more than once and the fifth to do so in consecutive seasons.

The decision, made pre-March Madness, amplifies Clark's dominance in the college hoops sphere. Dubbed the 'Steph Curry of women's basketball,'

“Steph Curry of women's basketball … Caitlin Clark,” a fan tweeted. “AP player of the year 2nd straight season.”

“Caitlin Clark, one of the brightest stars the sport has ever seen, at one of the most anticipated Final Fours ever,” one wrote.

"I think we’ll see a steph curry level influence from Caitlin Clark in the women’s game at all levels. He fundamentally changed how the game was played and inspired millions of players at all levels around the world. There’s a renaissance in women’s hoops rn and it’s fun to watch.," said another fan

LSU fans were not the only ones finding similarities between Caitlin Clark and Sreph Curry, reporter Brad Townsend posted a video of Mavericks' Luka Dončić, praising Clark's shooting.

"Doncic says he watched part of the Iowa-LSU women’s game last night. Asked whether Caitlin Clark reminds him of him, he smiled and said she’s more like Steph Curry. 'She shoots better than me, that's for sure.,'" posted Townsend

"Caitlin Clark, one of the brightest stars the sport has ever seen, at one of the most anticipated Final Fours ever. And we can barely hear her breakout interview because it’s in the middle of a loading dock and the only thing between us and the forklifts is a curtain.," said Adam Jacob

On receiving the prestigious AP Player of the Year title, Clark said:

"It's super special to see your impact not only in the state of Iowa but across the country,” she said. “To be able to have that impact on the next generation is really special, and you just hope to dream and aspire to be like you one day and chase after all their dreams."

This week, the showdown between Iowa and LSU attracted 12 million viewers to watch the intense rivalry between Clark and Angel Reese, the rivalry that ignited last year.

WBCA announces Caitlin Clark as the 2024 Wade Trophy recipient

Clark has also been named the winner of the 2024 Wade Trophy and was featured in the 2024 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team, as per the announcement by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The official Twitter account of Big Ten Women's Basketball posted:

“It’s an awards kind of day for Caitlin Clark.”

The head coach of the University of Arkansas, Mike Neighbors, who also chairs the WBCA NCAA Division I Awards Committee, presented the Wade Trophy to Clark today.

This recognition comes after Clark's outstanding performance this season, where she led her team to the Final Four for the second consecutive season and topped the nation in scoring (32.0 PPG) and assists (9.0 APG).

Reportedly, she is the first player to lead the country in both categories in back-to-back seasons and the first player to lead her conference in both statistics for four straight seasons.

"Caitlin, a four-time WBCA Coaches’ All-American who also was the 2021 WBCA NCAA Division I Co-Freshman of the Year, is a generational talent,” WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew said.

“The ‘Caitlin Clark effect’ has helped fill arenas across the country, boosted television ratings to record highs, and inspired a whole new generation of young girls to pick up a basketball and play the game.”

Who else agrees that Caitlin Clark is an absolute basketball sensation?