University of Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark from the University of Iowa, Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley and JuJu Watkins from the University of Southern California are the four finalists for the Class of 2024 Honda Sport Award for Basketball as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 48 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2024 Honda Cup, which will be presented during a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 7 PM ET, from its new home in New York City.
The basketball finalists were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the Women’s Baskeball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Honda Sport award winner for basketball will be announced after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Bueckers, a redshirt junior from Hopkins, Minn., is a 2024 Wade Trophy, Naismith Award and Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year finalist. She was named a national player of the year in 2021 and is now a two-time First Team AP and USBWA All-American as well as two-time Big East Player of the Year. Entering the Elite Eight, the guard leads UConn with a career-high 21.3 ppg and is averaging 4.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.
Clark is the reigning Honda Cup winner after capturing the honor for the Class of 2023. The guard is a finalist for all the major Player of the Year awards after sweeping the POTY awards in 2023. Hailing from West Des Moines, Iowa, she is a four-time First Team All-American and three-time Big Ten Player of the Year. The guard recently became the NCAA’s men’s and women’s all-time leading scorer surpassing LSU’s Pete Maravich, in her 130th career game. Entering the Elite Eight, she leads the nation in several NCAA categories including points per game (31.7) and triple-doubles (6).
A graduate student from Summerfield, N.C., Kitley is a 2024 First Team All-American and a finalist for the 2024 Wade Trophy. The center is also a finalist for the fourth time in her career for the Lisa Leslie Award. Kitley is a three-time ACC Player of the Year and four-time All-ACC honoree. She holds 12 career records for the Hokies including most points scored (2,709), most double-figure games (125) and best field goal percentage (.552). Off the court, she is a three-time Kay Yow Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Watkins is a freshman hailing from Los Angeles, Calif., and is a Wade Trophy and Naismith Award finalist along with being named the National Freshman of the Year across major outlets. She captured the 2024 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honor and was named to the Pac-12 All-tournament Team, All-Pac 12 First Team and an All-Pac-12 Defensive Honorable Mention. The guard ranks No. 2 all-time in single season scoring by a true freshman in the nation and enters the Elite Eight as the second highest scorer in the nation with 27.0 points per game.
The CWSA, entering its 48th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on improving children’s health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.