US basketball player Caitlin Clark has been named Female Athlete of the Year for her impact on and off the court by the Associated Press (AP).
AP, a US-based news agency, said she has raised the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both the college ranks and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Clark, from West Des Moines in Iowa, made her college debut for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2020 before joining Indiana Fever.
Explainer:
Who is Caitlin Clark?
She has become the greatest scorer in college basketball history, racking up 3,951 points across four seasons. Earlier in December, she was also named TIME magazine’s Athlete of the Year.
For all the success Clark has had and the attention she has brought to women’s basketball, she is often the focus of debates and online toxicity towards her and other players in the league.
Ticket sales to Indiana Fever games were up 182% in 2024 from the previous season and attendance records were also shattered.
But previous games featuring Clark and her on-court rival Angel Reese, who plays with Chicago Sky, have prompted social media debates about basketball, race and culture.
While both deny there is any bad blood between them, tension has been drummed up by fans and increased media attention. Beneath it are racial undertones which originated while the two played in college.
“You’d be remiss not to acknowledge how crazy her fan base is… she’s one of the most popular athletes in the world,” said Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was often spotted courtside at Clark’s Indiana Fever games.
Clark said she enjoys spending time with fans at games, usually taking a few minutes before and after games to sign autographs.
“For me, it’s still really fun,” she said in an interview with AP. “Whether it’s 15 seconds or 10 seconds or 5 seconds can be very impactful in a young girl and young boy’s life. Seeing the fans going crazy an hour before tipoff, I never take that for granted.”
Clark is only the fourth women’s basketball player to be named female athlete of the year since it was first presented in 1931, joining Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995) and Candace Parker (2008, 2021).
“I grew up a fan of Candace Parker and the people who came before me and to be honoured in this way, is super special and I’m thankful,” Clark said.
“It was a great year for women’s basketball and women’s sports.”
A group of 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members voted on the award, with Clark receiving 35 votes.
Gymnast Simone Biles was second with 25 votes. She is the most decorated gymnast in history, having won seven gold medals including three at the Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, boxer Imane Khelif was third, getting four votes. She won a women’s boxing gold medal after contentious claims about a failed gender eligibility test.
Meanwhile, on Monday Shohei Ohtani, who plays baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was named as AP’s Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, having previously won in 2021 and 2023.
The Japanese superstar trails four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
In October, the Los Angeles Dodgers won baseball’s World Series for the second time in five years, although the celebrations were marred by looting and violence.
He signed for them in a then-record $700m (£558m), 10-year contract in December 2023.