Caitlin Clark has been named TIME Athlete of the Year for 2024 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, went on to smash countless records in her debut campaign up in the big leagues while bringing unprecedented attention to women’s basketball.
And before joining the Fever, she also became the highest points scorer in NCAA history with former college Iowa, where she signed off with an appearance in the championship game.
The 22-year-old sensation is driving interest in the women’s game that has never been seen before after a staggering 18.9 million people tuned in for that March Madness finale against South Carolina – going down as the second most watched female sporting event in US history.
Her unique appeal has followed her to the professional ranks, too, with Clark’s Fever appearing in the most watched WNBA games ever on a number of networks last season.
Caitlin Clark has been named TIME Athlete of the Year after her record-breaking WNBA season
As a result, TIME has named the basketball icon as their most influential athlete of 2024.
When asked to sum up her year, Clark chose the word ‘historic’ before adding: ‘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 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’s also been so many people that are not involved in women’s sports, that are just in the workforce, or whatever they do, and they’re just like, ‘Thank you for what you do for women.’ I’ve heard that a million times.’