Caitlin Clark beats out Imane Khelif by nearly 9x as she wins coveted honor 

Caitlin Clark is not done winning honors in 2024.

On Christmas Eve, the Indiana Fever guard was named the Associated Press (AP) Female Athlete of the Year. As per AP's Doug Feinberg, Clark bested the likes of renowned gymnast Simone Biles and multi-titled boxer Imane Khelif "for her impact on and off the court."

A total of 74 sports writers cast their votes to determine the 2024 AP Female Athlete of the Year. Clark, who received 35 votes, had a sizable 10-vote lead over second-placer Biles. Meanwhile, Khelif placed third with four votes, meaning that Clark got nearly nine times as many votes as the Olympic boxer.

The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year reflected on her impressive ascent in such a short span of time.

“I’m thankful for the people I got to do it with,” Clark told AP News. “A year ago I was still in the early part of my senior year in college. ... How fast things change, and now I can see how great a college season it was.”

Clark, who turns 23 in a few weeks, has been credited with helping increase the WNBA's TV viewership and live attendance in her rookie season. Thanks to her tremendous impact, she became just the fourth women's basketball athlete to receive this laurel, which AP first handed out 93 years ago. The other hoopers on this elite list are Sheryl Swoopes, Rebecca Lobo and Candace Parker (who won it in 2008 and 2021).

“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,” Clark added. “It was a great year for women’s basketball and women’s sports.”

Caitlin Clark is in line to be the next WNBA global icon

The distinction of AP Female Athlete of the Year is just the latest accolade on an ever-growing list for Clark. Over the past three weeks, she has been named TIME magazine's Athlete of the Year and the Sports Business Journal (SBJ) Best Sports Business Athlete.

Small wonder, then, that Clark is being eyed by the WNBA as the key piece in its bid for global expansion. According to SBJ's Tom Friend, a special Indiana Fever game is in the works.

"The WNBA is not oblivious [to Clark's popularity]," Friend wrote. "According to sources, [the league] eventually will schedule a Fever game overseas to capitalize on her Q rating."

Given Clark's haul of awards over the past two years, she might secure the status of "household name" across the globe in the near future.