Caitlin Clark has been named TIME’s 2024 Athlete of the Year after her record-breaking rookie season in the WNBA.
Clark, who was selected with the first overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever, broke countless records in her debut major league campaign while bringing unprecedented attention to women’s basketball.
And before joining the Fever, she also became the leading point scorer in NCAA history with the former University of Iowa, where she signed off with an appearance in the championship game.
The 22-year-old sensation is generating interest in women’s soccer like never before after 18.9 million people tuned in to the March Madness finale against South Carolina, making it the second most-watched women’s sporting event in the history of the United States. .
Her unique appeal has also followed her into the professional ranks, with Clark’s Fever appearing on the most-watched WNBA games on several networks last season.
Caitlin Clark has been named TIME Athlete of the Year after her record-breaking WNBA season
As a result, TIME named the basketball icon its Most Influential Athlete of 2024.
Asked to sum up her year, Clark chose the word “historic” before adding, “I’ve been able to captivate so many people who have never watched women’s sports, let alone women’s basketball, and turn them into fans.”
He also said: ‘Personally, I’m just scratching the surface of what I can do and hopefully how I can change the world and impact people.
“There have also been a lot of people who aren’t involved in women’s sports, who are just in the workforce, or whatever they do, and they say, ‘Thank you for what you do for women.'” I’ve heard it a million times.