Caitlin Clark named Time's 2024 Athlete of the Year
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Photo: Courtesy of Cass Bird for TIME (@cassblackbird)
Caitlin Clark was named Time magazine's 2024 Athlete of the Year for her "unprecedented" influence in helping elevate WNBA viewership and interest in only her first season.
Why it matters: "It's one thing to rally around athletes during global spectacles like an Olympics or a World Cup," writes Sean Gregory, Time senior sports correspondent. "It's quite another to turn routine regular-season games in the WNBA, a league neglected for far too long over its 27-year history, into appointment viewing."
State of play: In a rare, in-depth interview, Clark defined the last year as "historic." A record-breaking number of people watched her on TV (1.3 million per game) and in person, with the Fever setting a new WNBA single-season home attendance record with 340,715 fans.
By the numbers: Clark set a WNBA single-season record in 2024 with 337 assists and recorded the first two triple-doubles by a rookie in WNBA history.
- Plus, the star power behind her and other players like Chicago's Angel Reese drove more money to the sport — with the Fever now valued at $90 million.
Yes, but: A dark spot has been the racism, sexism, threats and other online abuse hurled at players and their supporters as the WNBA pulled in new audiences.
- Clark acknowledged the rivalry narrative between her and Reese, saying she doesn't understand it: "We're not best friends, by any means, but we're very respectful of one another," she said to Time.
What they're saying: "I want to say I've earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege," Clark said.
What's next: Clark seems set on not playing off-season basketball, so the next time she will likely see the court is May 17, 2025, vs. Chicago.
- The Fever also have a new coach, Stephanie White, to help usher in a new era of Indiana basketball next season.