Caitlin Clark has made a name for herself as one of the top players in the WNBA. She had an outstanding rookie season, leading the league in assists and earning the Rookie of the Year title. On Tuesday, she was honored as the AP Female Athlete of the Year for her contribution to the sport.
Clark received the prestigious title for her impact and influence on the game. A panel of 74 journalists from the Associated Press voted for her as the winner of this award.
In an interview with AP, the Fever star acknowledged WNBA legend Candace Parker for inspiring her, saying, “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.”
Caitlin Clark is only the fourth women’s basketball player to be recognized with this honor, joining the likes of Sheryl Swoopes, Rebecca Lobo, and Candace Parker.
During her offseason, the Indiana Fever star has been enjoying playing golf as her secondary sport while reflecting on a successful rookie year that led her team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Caitlin Clark’s Stand Against Racial Discrimination After Winning TIME’s Athlete of the Year
In addition to being named AP’s Female Athlete of the Year, Caitlin Clark was recently awarded TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year on December 10. She used this platform to raise awareness about racial discrimination.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark said in an interview with TIME. “A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players.”
“This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that.”
Clark’s comments sparked a debate within the basketball community, with mixed reactions from supporters and critics. Spokespersons and WNBA icons like Sue Bird also weighed in on Clark’s statement.
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Edited by Tushar Bahl
