Player of the Year contenders are judged on their aggregate work from the first, but best, tip of the season NCAA Tournament Which makes stars and can often provide the voter’s ultimate influence.
The 2022-23 race is again very much seen as one player between two very different styles of players in Iowa guard Caitlin Clark and South Carolina quarterback Alia Boston. Maddie Siegrist of Villanova is also a highly watched contender, with Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes in conversation and Angel Reese still in on some chatter, too.
Yahoo Sports has captured the numbers, from basics to advanced to final value, for Boston, Clark, and Segrist. Memorable moments and production are also important, so highlights from their seasons are also included. Each stats from its stats hoop.
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Boston High (South Carolina, 6-5, Sr., female)
Averages: 13.3 ppg (333rd, 90th percentile), 9.7 rpg (37th percentile), 1.8 apg (991st, 71st percentile), 0.5 spg (29th percentile), 2.0 bpg (30th). Shoots 56.8% (97th percentile) at 25.8 mpg (64th percentile)
Totals: 426 points (313, 95%), 310 rebounds (18th), 57 assists (84%), 15 steals (54%), 64 blocks (17th)
Advanced (all percentages): 21.2% USE (66), 1.11 PPP (99), 57.1 EFG% (94), 19.1 TRB% (98), 10.2 TOV% (97), 6.9 blk% (97)
Value (ranks): 7 winning stocks (sixth), 4.4 winning stocks from WS (28), 2.6 winning stocks from WS (ninth)
Notable moments: Boston had its best statistical game in South Carolina’s biggest and most important win. She scored 26 points along with 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks against UConn in February. She scored 20-plus points four times and had a 20-double-double, ranking sixth in Division I. She was a perfect 8-of-8 against Vanderbilt and had six games shooting 80% or better, including 7-of-8 against Maryland.
NPOY Status: Boston’s raw numbers are down since her award season at Naismith as a junior. She’s averaged three fewer points (20% than her previous average), three fewer rebounds (22%) and half as many steals, and is down from a 78th percentage to a 29th percentage this season. She has seen jumps in points per game, effective field goal percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.46, 89 percent).
Those dips are largely due to help from around her as the defenses collapse at the 6-foot-5 first base. Senior guard Dia Cook and SEC sixth baseman Camila Cardoso Huge assets to this Unbeaten South Carolina team Pull pressure to score from Boston.
Boston is the best player on the best team in the country and has the strength, fortitude, and defense to win National Player of the Year honors.
Caitlin Clark (Iowa, 6-0, Jr., G)
Averages: 27 ppg (3rd), 7.5 rpg (167th, 95th percentile), 8.3 apg (1st), 1.4 spg (439th, 87th percentile), 0.6 bpg (594th, 83rd percentile), 34 mpg (95th percentile)
Totals: 864 points (second), 239 rebounds (101st, 17th among guards), 267 assists (first), 46 steals (94%), 19 blocks (91%).
Advanced (percentage, unless stated): 35.7% use (10th), 1.04 PPP (97%), 56.1 EFG% (93rd%), 47.5% (1st)
value: 8.8 wins (3rd), 7.4 from WS (2nd), 1.5 wins from WS (292)
Notable moments: Clark has four triple-doubles this seasonto emphasize how important she is in every aspect of the Hawkeyes, and she has 10 overall, which places her second all-time in Division I women’s basketball. Sabrina Ionesco. The most recent was a monster 30-point, 17-assist, 10-rebound display in a Big Ten game against Ohio State, 3 – The seed in the tournament. It came a week after she was out of position, with a triple win over Indiana, the top seed in the NCAA Tournament and No. 2 overall. Her best four games are against some of the best in NC State (45 points), Maryland (42p/7r/8a) and two-time Indiana (35p/10a and 34p/9r/9a).
NPOY Status: One of the game’s most powerful scorers and most dynamic passers, Clark joins the likes of Ionescu as impressive point guards to cut through the social media chaos. She raised her field goal, 3-point field goal, and effective field goal interceptions more toward those of her senior year.
She averaged 3.4 attempted 3s a game, ranking first, and 8.9 attempted 3s, ranking second. Her 108 3s and 285 attempts rank first and her range is basically half the entire court. She’s also one of the best at hitting the free throw line, ranking third with 202 tackles and 243 attempts made (83.1% ranks third in the nation).
Clark’s turnover numbers are the worst in DI (ranked 0 percent), but are offset by a lot of assists whose assists-to-turnover ratio ranks him 98th (2.17). It’s also 93rd in defensive rebounding rate (20.8%), despite its lack of defense overall.
Last season, Clark seemed to be the favorite of most media entities to break through and lift the POY award this time around. Beyond flashy offensive numbers, her most advantageous spot on the Pros’ roster is just that Iowa (26-6) will be in serious trouble without her. She delivers the most offense not only by scoring, but also by finding teammates who are pretty much in transition and otherwise.
Maddy Siegrist (Villanova, 6-2, Sr., Female)
Averages: 28.9 ppg (1st percentile), 9.3 rpg (48th percentile), 1.5 apg (64th percentile), 1.1 spg (72nd percentile), 1.2 bpg (33rd percentile, 96th percentile). It shoots 51.8% at 35.2 mpg
Totals: 984 points (1st), 317 rebounds (14th), 51 assists (80th percentile), 36 steals (88th percentile), 41 sets (80th, 98th percentile)
advanced: 37.6% Use (5th percentile), 1.14 PPP (14th percentile), 55.3 EFG% (91st percentile), 5.4 TOV% (4th percentile)
value: 10.7 winning stock (first), 8.6 from WS (first), 2.1 winning over WS (37)
Notable moments: Siegrist scored a season-high 50 points on a 76.9% shooting segment (20-of-26) against Seton Hall last month. She never scored fewer than 21 points, which she did against UConn in the Big East championship game as well as against Marquette and Marist.
NPOY Status: Siegrist, like Clark, is hugely important to Villanova and has the winning share numbers to show for that. She shoots 3 more than Boston and is hitting 37.3% from there.
Her case for National Player of the Year was dealt a blow when I looked at her games ranked from best to worst in scoring and efficiency. Its worst shooting games, all of which came under 41%, were largely against top talent at Iowa State, Baylor, and DePaul. UConn has held it down to 43% of all three games.
Angel Reese (LSU, 6-3, So., F)
Averages: 23.4 ppg (5th percentile), 15.5 rpg (2nd percentile), 2.2 apg (80th percentile), 1.7 spg (92nd percentile), 1.4 bpg (97th percentile); It records 54% overall at 33.3mpg
Totals: 701 points (fifth), 464 rebounds (second), 65 assists (87 percent), 50 steals (95 percent), 42 blocks (71st).
advanced: 29.4% Usage Rate (96%), 1.05 PPP (98%), 54.1 EFG% (89%), 24.1 TRB% (4th) led by 20.4 ORB% (4th)
value: 9.6 in winning stock (2nd), 6.7 from WS (3rd), 3.0 def WS (1st)
Notable moments: Reese’s season highs are 36 points against Ole Miss, 28 rebounds against Texas A&M, and 86.7 FG% against Lamar. She broke LSU’s streak of consecutive double-doubles by Sylvia Fowles and had 28 in 30 games.
NPOY Status: Reese, who leads the nation in free throws and attempts (but shoots 70.8%), is a dominant and talented player whose cause, unfortunately for her and LSU, does not have the appeal of Clark, Boston, or Segrist. The Tigers play a non-conference schedule of teams Near the bottom in the NET rankingsand left her performance against the rare top team LSU has faced as crucial to her campaign.
He broke her double-double streak against South Carolina when she scored 16 points (fourth-worst of the season) for a season-low 33.3 FG% with a season-low four rebounds. The two games against Tennessee were also among its low performances.
Snapshot of the National Awards
Wooden award
It is named after John Wooden and honors his vision of an “all-around basketball player”. Honors the most outstanding player in women’s basketball since 2004 according to certain nominee criteria. The Blue Ribbon National Advisory Board selects approximately 15 finalists for POY Honor and All-American Team honors. Voting begins at the end of the season and includes tournament matches until immediately after the Sweet 16 matches.
Finalists: Alia Boston (SC, Sr, F), Cameron Brink (Stanford, Jr, F), Caitlin Clark (Iowa, Jr, F), Alia Edwards (UConn, Jr, F), Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana, Sr, F) Ashley Jones (Iowa State, Sr, G/F), Haley Jones (Stanford, Sr, G), Elizabeth Keatley (Virginia Tech, Sr, C), Ta’Niya Latson (Florida State, Sr, G), Olivia Miles (Notre Dame, SW, G), Diamond Miller (Md, Sr, G), Anissa Morrow (DePaul, SW, F), Alyssa Bailey (Utah Jr, F), Maddy Siegrist (Villanova, Sr, F), Helle Fan Leith (Louisville Jr., G).
Naismith Award
It is named after Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball. Honoring the nation’s best women’s player since 1983 as voted by the National Academy of Basketball’s leading coaches, administrators, and journalists. There are watchlists for the Top 50 and Top 30 narrowed down to the 10 semi-finalists and four finalists, which are then voted on by the group.
Semi-finalists: Boston, Brink, Clark, Edwards, John Holmes, Keatley, Bailey, Angel Reese (LSU, So., F), Siegrist.
The only player on Naismith’s 10-man roster not included in the wooden 15-man roster is Reese. LSU confirmed Reese ineligible for the award Because it did not meet all the criteria. It may be her GPA that doesn’t meet the requirements, said Kim Mulkey, the head coach. Wooden Award requires a 2.0, while LSU has different qualifications based on completed semesters starting at 1.8.
Yahoo Sports Player of the Year
Negley’s choice: It is always difficult to compare different types of players to get the best overall player award. Comparing stats gets tricky, because there is a level of value to each one and context within each number. Reese and even Boston are the greatest examples of this. Anyone who hasn’t watched or paid attention this season can look at those numbers and think Reese is a much better candidate while Boston is mediocre. This is not the case, and Boston is a strong competitor for its action that leads South Carolina to an undefeated record.
My vote will go to Clark. She is an offensive threat no matter where she is on the court and finds pockets of windows only the best in the game can understand. More importantly, Iowa would be lost without it. The rest of the five starts are fine, but without Clark, I don’t doubt Iowa will be closer to 11-seed Illinois than it is to a single-seed discard.
Joanna Huypers pick: There’s no denying what Boston and South Carolina have done this season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them lift the NCAA Tournament trophy in April. Clark’s importance to Iowa cannot be overstated. It’s also totally fun to watch anytime you’re on the field. Both have proven why they are top candidates for National Player of the Year.
However, my choice is Siegrist. What it did to put Villanova on the map and lead it to a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament is not measured in stats alone. She is the all-time leading scorer for Villanova in men’s and women’s basketball. She’s the nation’s leading scorer and went 50-0 in February. Some great matches in the tournament could be what propels them to the top.
