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TIME Magazine Announces Its 2024 Athlete Of The Year

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Dec 10, 2024 10:03 AM ET

2024 was a banner year for women's sports around the world, and women's basketball was at the forefront.

The year began with the electric college basketball season, as fans watched some of the best teams and players in the country obsessively leading up to and during the NCAA Tournament.

Women's games consistently outdrew men's games in attendance and viewership last season, leading to a massive clash between Iowa and South Carolina in the national championship game.

After the Gamecocks finished their undefeated season with a title win, the focus shifted to the WNBA and its transcendent rookie class.

Players like Cameron Brink and Angel Reese were household names in their first WNBA seasons, but no player took over the public consciousness quite like Caitlin Clark.

The former Iowa Hawkeye was the catalyst for the exponential growth of the WNBA this season, helping the league set new viewership and engagement records. She lived up to the hype on the court as well, winning the Rookie of the Year award while leading her team to the playoffs.

Clark has been recognized for her incredible year by TIME Magazine, who named her the "Athlete of the Year" for 2024 on Tuesday.

“You feel powerful,” Clark said about her first WNBA season, knowing that fans were invested in her and the success of the Indiana Fever this year.

"Instantly, everybody goes crazy. 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.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 14: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on against the Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter at Target Center on July 14, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)David Berding/Getty Images

Clark also spoke on how her newfound celebrity is still jarring, months after becoming a national sensation at the end of her college career.

“People are just going crazy that I’m there,” she said after attending a pair of recent Taylor Swift shows.

“I thought people would be so in their own world, ready to see Taylor. And it was just completely the opposite.”

Clark's star power has helped the WNBA become a major part of the American sports schedule. Fans packed arenas and watched games on television all season long, even after Clark and the Fever were eliminated from the playoffs.

As Clark gets ready for her second season, there's no denying that the WNBA has found its new face as it prepares to make more of a mark on the sports world.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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