INDIANAPOLIS — The Caitlin Clark effect has expanded to even greater heights.
The basketball star was named TIME magazine's Athlete of the Year.
Caitlin Clark is TIME's Athlete of the Year https://t.co/WtgLuIIYhb pic.twitter.com/oGDewhUPcB
— TIME (@TIME) December 10, 2024
Clark was drafted to the Indiana Fever as the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft. She helped the Fever reach the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Her star power contributed to increased ticket sales and higher viewership — with Fever games among the most-watched of the season.
“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,” Clark told TIME.
Clark summed up her year with one word — "historic," to TIME journalist Sean Gregory.
She talked about her rise to fame, which she said has come with some good and bad, with her wide-reaching success often sparking cultural debates.
“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.”
Still, Clark is focused on the big picture.
"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,” she told TIME.
TIME's article also mentions the back-to-back Taylor Swift shows at Lucas Oil Stadium that Clark attended in early November. Clark said she got to meet Swift’s mother and boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and received four bags of Eras Tour merchandise with a note saying she was inspiring to watch from afar.
Right now, Clark and The Fever are preparing for next season. Their first game will be against the Chicago Sky on May 17.
