Caitlin Clark vs. Aliyah Boston - Who will be the 2022 NPOY

Source: hawkcentral.com

Source: USA TODAY Sports

The top two contenders for this year's Women's NPOY are undoubtedly Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Aliyah Boston of the University of South Carolina. It is a very hot and divisive topic in the women's college basketball world, with different but strong arguments for both.

The Stats (As of the night of Sunday, March 6th):

Caitlin Clark (Guard)	Aliyah Boston (Forward)
PTS 27.7	PTS 16.7
REB 8.1	REB 12
AST 8.1	AST 1.9
FG% 45.9	FG% 54.6

Caitlin Clark destroys Aliyah Boston in what many would argue to be the most important stats: Points Per Game and Assists. As a key player for the Iowa Hawkeyes, she is often double, or even triple-teamed on a regular basis and still manages impressive numbers. Clark most recently led her team to both a Big Ten Regular Season Co-Championship and a Big Ten Tournament Championship.

Aliyah Boston, on the other hand, is a dominant player on a dominant team. The South Carolina Gamecocks have been a threat all season despite their recent SEC tournament loss, currently ranked at number 1 in the nation. Boston has a higher field goal percentage as well as more rebounds per game than Clark.

When it comes to deciding the title of National Player of the Year, it is also important to take into account a few other factors. First, it is crucial to keep in mind that this is an individual award, not the best player on the best team award. From this angle, Clark is a clear winner as her impact on Iowa and their success is immeasurable. Iowa would be a very different team without her. On the other hand, Boston is surrounded by many other highly rated, talented recruits. In this sense, her individual impact is much less because South Carolina as a whole would still be a top team without her. Boston also has a higher level of talent to work with around her. Many South Carolina fans will point out how many turnovers Clark has compared to Boston. While this is certainly true, it is important to keep in mind that A) Clark and Boston play two very different positions, and B) Clark is utilized a lot more in terms of carrying the ball and is guarded much more tightly by other teams.

This is just my biased opinion as an Iowa fan. Both players are phenomenal at their craft and either player would be deserving, whatever the result may be.