Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, who captivated basketball fans long before her arrival in the WNBA, was named Time’s Athlete of the Year on Tuesday following her historic rookie season.
Clark, 22, capped off a phenomenal rookie season packed with record-breaking performances and crowds with a playoff appearance – the first for Indiana since 2016 – and was named WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Caitlin Clark of the Indianan Fever reacts to a foul called on her in a game against the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Aug. 18, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Chet White/Getty Images)
When asked by Time magazine how she would summarize this past year, Clark responded with one word: historic.
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“I’ve been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women’s sports, let alone women’s basketball, and turn them into fans,” she told the magazine.
Clark said the noise surrounding the league this past year felt “powerful.”
“Instantly, everybody goes crazy,” she continued. “People are invested in the game, they love the game, and that’s what makes it so fun for me. These people aren’t supporting women’s sports to check a box. It’s going to be the new normal.”
While women’s college basketball fans already recognized her, Clark became a household name during the 2023 March Madness tournament by leading Iowa to its first national championship game in program history for the women’s team. A rivalry between LSU’s Angel Reese, which would carry on into their professional careers, was born.
LSU’s Angel Reese reacts in front of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark during the NCAA Women’s Final Four championship, April 2, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Iowa would fall to LSU, but Clark and the Hawkeyes would run it back the following year.
In her senior year, Clark would earn more honors, including eclipsing Pete Maravich as the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader. She was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever just a month later and her dominance continued.
Clark wrapped up her rookie season with more records in games played before sold out crowds (some at NBA arenas) and she would be crowned Rookie of the Year after being named an All-Star and just the fifth rookie in league history to make the All-WNBA First-Team.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever drives against DiJonai Carrington of the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 20, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
But her success came amid controversy. Narratives around race, a divide between the old guard and the new, and even an Olympic snub surrounded Clark.
“I tell people I feel like the most controversial person,” Clark told Time. “But I am not. It’s just because of all the storylines that surround me. I literally try to live and treat everybody in the same exact respectful, kind way. It just confuses me at times.”
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Clark has had an undeniable impact on the landscape of not just the WNBA, but women’s sports in general. The growth of the league and the focus on women’s sports is only the beginning.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts in the game against the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Aug. 16, 2024. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“Personally, I’m just scratching the surface of what I can do and hopefully how I can change the world and impact people,” she told Time magazine.
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