Two of the top players in women’s college basketball, Cameron Brink and Caitlin Clark, have won the prestigious 2024 Naismith Awards as March Madness gets underway.
The Iowa Hawkeyes’ standout player, Clark, was selected as the 2024 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year. She has won the Women’s College Player of the Year title for the past two seasons running, making her the eighth player in history to do so and the tenth to do so on multiple occasions.
“It is really humbleing to receive the Naismith Trophy twice,” Clark said in a statement. Given the caliber of athletes in the nation, it is really remarkable to be chosen as this season’s honoree. I’d want to express my gratitude to my teammates, coaches, and family for helping me get here.
“Being named the 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year is an incredible honor,” Brink said in a statement. “Although it is an individual honor, it is a tribute to everyone who has supported me—my friends, teammates, coaches, and family—not just this season but during my time at Stanford. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now, and I am incredibly appreciative of all of their love and assistance.
Apart from the Naismith awards, high-profile name, image, and likeness (NIL) sneaker partnerships are another item that Brink and Clark have in common.
In October 2022, Nike said that it had signed Clark and a number of other young basketball players, including JuJu Watkins, who signed while still in high school and currently plays college basketball for USC, and Bronny James, the son of LeBron James.
Brink, on the other hand, inked a NIL contract with New Balance in October 2023. Brink signed the contract, making her the first female basketball player that New Balance had ever signed.
In addition to Brink and Clark, Dawn Staley, the coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, was also recognized. Staley won the 2024 Naismith Werner Ladder Women’s Coach of the Year award for the second straight season and the fourth time in the previous five years.
Due to her March 2022 agreement with the active recovery footwear firm Oofos, Staley is also connected to the shoe industry.