Caitlin Clark has taken interest in NCAA and WNBA women’s basketball to another level, and she was named the Associated Press Women’s Athlete of the Year on Tuesday for her impact on the court as outside.
After leading the University of Iowa to a championship game, Clark was the first-ever selection in the WNBA draft and won Rookie of the Year with the Indiana Fever. The fans were there for each sold-out match and millions of viewers followed his journey on television.
Clark’s exploits were far-reaching, helping to spark interest in other women’s sports leagues.
A group of 74 Associated Press journalists and its members voted to award the title. Clark received 35 votes, ahead of American gymnast Simone Biles (25 votes) and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif (four votes).
Clark is only the fourth basketball player to receive the title since it was first awarded in 1931. The others are Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995) and Candace Parker (2008 and 2021).
“I was a supporter of Candace Parker and the people before me growing up and to be honored in this way is super special and I’m grateful,” Clark said in a telephone interview. It was a big year for women’s basketball and women’s sports in general. »
Shohei Ohtani won the Men’s Athlete title for the third time on Monday.
Clark broke the record for the most points in the NCAA’s top division, both for men and women, with 3,951 points. She led Iowa to a second straight final. After her Hawkeyes lost to South Carolina, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley took the microphone during her team’s celebrations to say, “I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for elevating our sport”.
Despite all of Clark’s success and attention to women’s basketball, she is often at the center of online debate and toxicity towards her and other players in the league.
For his part, Clark condemned the toxic comments.
Clark handled both the praise and the negative comments, but it was difficult for her to appreciate what she accomplished over the past year in the heat of the moment. After having time to think, she had kind words for those who accompanied her.
“I’m grateful for the people I was able to do it with,” Clark said. A year ago, I was still at the start of my senior year of college…how quickly things change, and now I can see how great this college season has been. »
After a slow start in the WNBA, Clark eventually found her groove. She set a new record with 19 assists in a game. His 337 assists during the season are also a new mark.
Known for her long three-pointers, Clark was also the fastest player to reach 100 baskets from downtown, doing so in 34 games. She helped the Fever make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Some 18.9 million viewers watched Clark and the NCAA women’s basketball final. It was more followed than the men’s final for the first time.
Clark credits the entire female athletic community for the rise in popularity, preferring to use “we” rather than “I” when discussing it.
“It’s fascinating, you don’t always realize how many people 18 million represents,” Clark said. You see that number against a college football game or the Masters Tournament or whatever when it comes to our country’s biggest sporting events and it puts things into perspective.
“We dominated the men’s Final Four. »
2024-12-24 23:11:00