Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark Headline 2022 Naismith Women's POY Award Finalists

Iowa's Caitlin Clark and South Carolina's Aliyah Boston headline the list of finalists for the 2022 Naismith Women's Player of the Year award announced Tuesday.

Stanford guard Haley Jones and Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith round out the list.

The winner will be announced on Wednesday, March 30 at the Women's Final Four in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Clark had a huge sophomore season for the Hawkeyes, leading the NCAA with 27.0 points and 8.0 assists per game. She is the first female player to lead the country in both categories.

Though she led Iowa to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, the Hawkeyes suffered a second-round upset at the hands of No. 10 Creighton. Clark finished 4-of-19 from the field during the season-ending loss.

Smith and Baylor also suffered a surprising loss in the second round as South Dakota held the forward to just 10 points. The senior still had an outstanding season, averaging 22.1 points and 11.5 rebounds while totaling 24 double doubles.

South Carolina and Stanford are not only still in the hunt for a national championship, they are the tournament's biggest favorites as the top two seeds in the field.

Boston has been a big part of South Carolina's success as the SEC Player of the Year who averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. The two-way star is also a top contender for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Jones has had a quiet start to March Madness with just 11 combined points in the first two rounds, but her averages of 12.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game showcased her versatility for one of the top squads in the country.

UConn's Paige Bueckers won the award last year, but a knee injury caused her to miss much of the 2021-22 season.