Caitlin Clark is already a sports icon, but TIME made sure to remove any doubt.
The publication named the Indiana Fever star its 2024 Athlete of the Year.
The Fever made Clark the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She propelled the team to a 20-20 record and a playoff berth, the franchise’s first since 2016.
While the Fever lost to Connecticut in the first round, Clark’s impact on the sports world was undeniable. Her games consistently drew large crowds (home and away) while also getting a record number of people to watch WNBA games on TV.
Sher appeared in the most-watched WNBA games on ABC, CBS, ESPN and ESPN2 as the league attracted record viewership and attendance. When the Fever and Washington Mystics faced off in their season finale, the game drew 20,711 fans, the largest crowd ever to witness a WNBA game.
“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 in its lengthy writeup.
She chose the word “historic” to describe her whirlwind year, which took her from the NCAA championship game in April to the WNBA playoffs in September.
Her time the spotlight also made her a lightning rod for controversy, and that was not of her choosing.
“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.”
Her pro career didn’t start off on a great note. She committed 10 turnovers in her Fever debut, and the team sputtered to a 1-8 start. But Clark kept grinding, and so did her teammates.
By June, the Fever were playing consistently better basketball and finding some wins. When the season resumed in August following the monthlong Olympic break, they won seven of eight games. It followed Clark's snub from the Olympic team.
Now, Clark and her teammates are preparing for the next season. They’ll open on May 17, 2025, against the Chicago Sky.