Caitlin Clark, one of basketball’s brightest stars, has been named Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2024. Her achievements in the WNBA and NCAA have established her as a generational talent, while her Sicilian roots, through her mother’s side of the family (Nizzi), add a cultural dimension to her story.
In her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, Clark set a WNBA record for most assists in a single season with 337 and she drained 122 three-pointers, narrowly missing the league’s all-time single-season record of 128. She also averaged 25.5 points per game, the highest average ever recorded by a WNBA rookie. These accomplishments earned her the Rookie of the Year award and a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, a rare achievement for a first-year player.
In an appearance at the “2024 Massachusetts Conference for Women” on Dec. 12, Clark said that coming from an Italian family, she had no choice but to toughen up against the older, bigger and better competition: “I always had to find a way to hold my own,” Clark said. “Whether it was older cousins, whether it was the boys I was playing with, whether I was playing other big girls, whatever it was.”
Clark’s dominance began in college basketball, where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball, finishing her career with over 4,000 points. She made history by becoming the first player — male or female — to record consecutive 40-point triple-doubles in NCAA tournament play, leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to their first national championship game appearance in 2023. Also while at Iowa, Clark played summer exhibition games in Italy.
Clark’s stats speak to her unparalleled skill and impact on the game. Her records and accolades, coupled with her connection to her Sicilian heritage, make her one of the most compelling athletes of her generation.
The 2025 WNBA season gets underway this May.
