WNBA star Caitlin Clark named TIME’s Athlete of the Year for 2024
Time Magazine has revealed that Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark is the 2024 Athlete of the Year.
The announcement comes as no surprise after the supremely talented 22-year-old experienced a brilliant 12 months both on and off the court.
Previous winners of the prestigious award include fellow basketball star LeBron James, decorated gymnast Simone Biles, and football icon Lionel Messi.
Sports News Blitz writer Shameeka Voyiya reports on the story.
Record-breaking season
It has been quite the year for Clark.
In the WNBA, she racked up the most points in her position (769), provided a single-season record number of assists (337) and turnovers (223), scored the most ever triple doubles for a rookie (2), and was voted Rookie of the Year.
Additionally, Clark’s much-anticipated college championship game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks averaged 18.9 million viewers, which made it the most watched women’s sporting event outside of the Olympic Games in US television history.
Clark also inked a $28 million endorsement deal with Nike, the largest ever for a female basketball player, and was ranked in the top 15 highest-paid female athletes in the world after earning roughly $11 million in 2024.
READ MORE: Barbra Banda named BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year for 2024
Influence extends beyond the game
All things considered, Clark is particularly cognisant of her role in the ongoing growth of women’s basketball.
“I’ve been able to captivate so many people that never watched women’s sports — let alone women’s basketball — and turn them into fans,” she noted.
Yet, while rightly proud of her accomplishments so far, Clark recognises that she has benefited from a certain degree of racial privilege too.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing but, as a white person, there is privilege,” the Iowa native said regarding her career.
“A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been black players. This league has kind of been built on them,” Clark continued. “The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible … I think it’s very important.
“I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate black women — that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
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