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"Puts in perspective": Caitlin Clark gets honest about competing with college football and Masters for eyeballs in America
Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark added another feather in her cap after being named the Associated Press' Female Athlete of the Year. As she received it, she took the opportunity to highlight the significant strides women's sports have made.
The 22-year-old WNBA rookie of the year was honored by AP as the female athlete of 2024 for helping raise the profile of women's hoops for this year, from her final year at the University of Iowa to the WNBA where she towed the Fever to renewed competitiveness.
Clark has been largely credited for infusing tons of interest in women's basketball with sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers who followed her basketball journey toward superstardom. And it is not only women's basketball that is getting a windfall from it, as other women's sports have also gotten long-needed attention.
Clark spoke about it in an interview with AP News, highlighting how notable the change in appreciation for women's sports has been.
"It's fascinating, you don't always appreciate how many people 18 million is," Clark said, referring to the 18.9 million viewers who tuned in to watch Iowa play South Carolina in the NCAA women's championship game this year. It marked the first time that it outdrew the men's game in its 42-year history.
"You see that number against a college football game or the Masters or whatever it is as far as the biggest sporting events in our country and it puts it in persepctive. We outdrew the men's Final Four," she added.
Following a momentous final year in Iowa, Caitlin Clark brought her popularity to the WNBA, where she delivered impressive numbers in total attendance, which was up 48% with TV viewership up a staggering 300%.
In her rookie season, she posted all-around numbers of 19.2 points, 8.4 assists (league-high), 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. She was also named an All-Star in her first year, best rookie and finished fourth in the MVP voting.
Caitlin Clark honored with latest accolade from AP
Caitlin Clark is appreciative of the latest accolade given to her by the Associated Press as its Female Athlete of the Year. She said it was a huge honor for her in her basketball journey and that she is happy about how things are changing for the better in women's sports.
"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. It was a great year for women's basketball and women's sports," Clark said via AP News.
In being named AP Female Athlete of the Year, Caitlin Clark received 35 votes from a panel of 74 sports journalists. She was followed by Olympic gymnast Simone Biles with 25 and boxer Imane Khelif with four votes. The Male Athlete of the Year, meanwhile, is World Series champion and LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
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