WNCAAB Wooden Awards Odds: Caitlin Clark Stays Favored

The John R. Wooden Award is handed out annually to the best player in men's and women's college basketball. This year, a certain gal is gunning for back-to-back titles and is pushing ahead on the oddsboard. 

who is favored to win the Wooden Award?

Odds as of January 10

clark Is the face of women's college hoops

The name Caitlin Clark blew up last season during Women's March Madness. The junior was playing on a next level, smashing records on her journey to recording 191 points and two consecutive 41-point nights during the tournament. The junior is less than 500 points away from breaking the Division 1 points record -- I mean, each stat is just better than the next. I could go on forever. 

Despite falling to LSU in the title game last year, her sheer talent won her the Wooden Award National Player of the Year and Naismith Women's College Player of the Year. 

Through the first few months of the season, the Iowa native continues setting the bar by leading the nation with 31.3 PPG. Her Hawkeyes, currently +850 to win the national championship, sit first in the Big Ten. 

CAITLIN CLARK CALLED GAME

pic.twitter.com/o0uc94M0te

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 3, 2024

Point is, you can't go wrong leaning on Clark while the -200 odds are still decent. She is showcasing herself on the court every night and putting up numbers that surpass some of the best in the WNBA. Unless Iowa goes on a massive skid, this seems like a lock to me. 

wooden award value picks 

Well, stranger things have happened than a lock... unlocking? So, here are some other names you can lay some money on. 

kamilla cardoso (+1200)

The senior is singlehandedly making sure her Gamecocks don't miss a beat after their historic 42-game streak and 37-week reign as No. 1 was destroyed in March last year. South Carolina may have lost its point leaders, Zia Cooke (15.4 PPG) and Aliyah Boston (13 PPG) to the WNBA, but Cardoso has stepped up to become the new leader. 

The Brazilian lights the way with 13.6 PPG, 10.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks to keep her squad spotless through the opening months of the year. 

Put it this way, if South Carolina keeps up this undefeated, dominant reputation again (which we know they can) then Cardoso's odds will surge. 

Paige Bueckers (+1200)

We know UConn has been a wagon in previous years, claiming the title from 2013 to 2016. The Huskies will always have some shining athletes in their program. One of the recent ones is Paige Bueckers, the only freshman to win the award back in 2020-21. 

She currently drops 19.3 PPG while the Huskies battle to be the threat they once were. But, defensively, she is a whole different beast who will whack the ball away from her zone whenever she can. The trophy already knows her name so she isn't easily overlooked.

We do not talk about Paige Bueckers mid-range enough — it’s some of the best in all of basketball pic.twitter.com/RiVCVbFpBO

— Bri Lewerke (@brilewerke) January 4, 2024

angel reese (+1200)

Once Reese and her Tigers dethroned Clark's Hawkeyes, the Bayou Barbie got some serious love. LSU is rocking the nation's best offense with 94.2 PPG and though Reese missed a few games, she is back and sinking 19.8 PPG. 

Her competitive attitude likes to win and her focus constantly makes her better each outing. Reese, last year's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, wants to keep that successful reputation. If the Tigers hoist back-to-back titles, it'll be hard to deny Reese is one of the athletes that got them there. 

Last 10 Women’s Wooden Award Winners

The Wooden Award isn't afraid to be held in the same hands for back-to-back years. Since first being given out in 2003, there have been five different people who have won the award in consecutive seasons (Seimone Augustus, Candace Parker, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu).