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The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has been
handing out the Sullivan Award since 1930, when golfer Bobby
Jones was the first honoree.
Last year, Clark became the first women's basketball player to
be the sole recipient of the Sullivan Award since Tennessee's
Chamique Holdsclaw was recognized in 1998. Since then, four
other women's basketball players shared the prize: Georgia's
Coco Miller and Kelly Miller in 1999, UConn's Breanna Stewart
(along with Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds) in 2015 and
Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu (along with Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee)
in 2019.
The other Sullivan Award finalists this year were U.S.
Paralympic swimmer Noah Jaffe, Team USA gymnast Frederick
Richard, Texas volleyball player Madisen Skinner, Olympic speed
skater Emery Lehman and Olympic wrestler David Taylor.
Clark said of receiving the award again, "The AAU Sullivan Award
is an incredible honor. I have been inspired by so many athletes
that came before me and I hope I can be that same inspiration
for the next generation to follow their dreams. I want to
congratulate the other finalists and thank all of those who
voted for me."
Clark shattered the NCAA mark with 1,234 points and 201
3-pointers in the just-concluded season, leading Iowa to the
national title game for the second year in a row. She also set
national career records with 3,951 points and 548 treys.
She also drew record attendance for Hawkeyes games home and
away, and her presence was a key factor in the Women's Final
Four drawing record television ratings.
Clark was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft by the
Indiana Fever on April 15, with her selection prompting record
TV numbers.
Past Sullivan Award winners include Wilma Rudolph (1961), Bill
Bradley (1965), Mark Spitz (1971), Bill Walton (1973), Carl
Lewis (1981), Janet Evans (1989), Peyton Manning (1997), Michael
Phelps (2003), Tim Tebow (2007) and Shawn Johnson (2008).
--Field Level Media
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