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Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers Headline 2024 Women's CBB AP All-American 1st Team

Joseph Zucker

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark is capping off her college career with a third straight Associated Press first-team All-American nod.

Clark was a unanimous selection, per the AP's Doug Feinberg.

Stanford forward Cameron Brink, UConn guard Paige Bueckers, USC guard JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo filled out the first team.

Here's the full list of honorees:

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

Clark leads the country in both points (31.9) and assists (8.9) amid a record-breaking season. She became the all-time leading scorer in Division I history earlier this month and is the first player ever to record 3,000 points and 1,000 assists.

"That is mind-boggling when you think about it," Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder said to Feinberg. "I mean, everybody's defensive plan is to stop her, and nobody's been able to figure out really how to do it. She's faced every kind of defense. She really knows how to pick them apart."

Like Clark, Bueckers and Brink were upperclassmen who lived up to the hype in 2023-24.

In her first year back from a torn ACL, Bueckers averaged 21.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals. She's even the team leader in blocks (1.4). The fourth-year junior has played a pivotal role in helping the Huskies navigate around major injuries across the roster.

Brink, meanwhile, has shouldered a bigger load following the departure of Haley Jones to help Stanford claim a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Not only is she averaging a double-double (17.8 points and 11.9 rebounds), but her 13.5 percent block rate is also third-best among all Division I players, per Her Hoop Stats.

The combined emergence of Watkins and Hidalgo points to the bright future ahead for the women's game. They're second and third, respectively, behind Clark on this year's scoring chart.

Watkins quickly became a must-see talent, dropping 32 points in an 83-74 upset over Ohio State in her first career game. In February, she scored a school-record 51 points and added 11 rebounds as the Trojans downed the Cardinals.

Hidalgo has been just as good, putting up 23.3 points per game while averaging more steals (4.6) than any other player. Fighting Irish fans may have lowered expectations for the season knowing Olivia Miles, who was recovering from a major knee injury, was unlikely to play at all. Thanks to Hidalgo, the team claimed an ACC conference title.

With Watkins and Hidalgo, more first-team All-American honors are likely to follow.

   

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