Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named the Associated Press' Female Athlete of the Year on Tuesday for her impact both on and off the court.
She was the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, then went on to make the WNBA All-Star team, win the league's rookie of the year award and earn All-WNBA First Team in her first season. Fans packed out arenas to watch Clark play and for those not local, she was must-see television.
According to the Associated Press, a group of 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members voted on the award, where Clark received 35 votes. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was second place with 25 votes, while boxer Imane Khalif was third with four.
Clark is the fourth women's basketball player to win the award since its inception in 1931. She joins Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995) and Candace Parker (2008, 2021) as other basketball stars to receive the honor.
“I grew up a fan of Candace Parker and the people who came before me and to be honored in this way, is super special and I’m thankful,” Clark told the AP. “It was a great year for women’s basketball.”
Add it the long list of accolades in a historic year for Clark and women's basketball.
Caitlin Clark is the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aKdBuwFyR7
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) December 24, 2024
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark Wins Prestigious Female Athlete of the Year Award.
