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On Tuesday, Caitlin Clark was named TIME Magazine's 2024 Athlete of the Year. Following her final year at Iowa, Clark was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever, eventually winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year award while leading her team to its first playoff berth in nearly a decade.
Fans and Clark's peers have been congratulating and praising her for the achievement. In a post on her Instagram story, her Fever teammate, Aliyah Boston, reposted the TIME Magazine with a five-word caption.
"We love to see it," Boston wrote.
The two towed the Indiana Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016, setting the stage for a massive 2025 season. While Clark is enjoying some downtime, Boston is preparing to play in Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier's Unrivaled 3x3 league.
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Once the WNBA season starts, the duo is expected to hit the ground running under newly-appointed Fever coach Stephanie White.
"It just confuses me at times," - Caitlin Clark opens up on the controversy that surrounded her during rookie season
Along with the announcement that Caitlin Clark is TIMES' 2024 Athlete of the Year, the outlet dropped an interview with the WNBA star.
She talked about a wide range of topics, from her friendship with Taylor Swift to the controversy that followed her throughout her rookie season. Clark said that much of the controversy has nothing to do with her and stems from storylines that are created by the media and fans.
"I tell people I feel like the most controversial person," Clark said. "But I am not. It’s just because of all the storylines that surround me. I literally try to live and treat everybody in the same exact respectful, kind way. It just confuses me at times."
While discussing her rookie year, Caitlin Clark was asked about her "on-court rivalry" with Angel Reese. While the two have gone to war on the court both at the NCAA and WNBA levels, Clark isn't sure where the talk of a "bitter rivalry" came from.
“I don’t get that at all," Clark said. "We’re not best friends by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another. Yes, we have had tremendous battles. But when have I ever guarded her? And when has she guarded me?”
Fans will have a chance to see the two go at it on the court sooner rather than later, with the Indiana Fever facing the Chicago Sky on opening night on May 17.
