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Caitlin Clark was recently named TIME Magazine's Athlete of the Year after an impressive final year at Iowa and her first season in the WNBA. Clark's influence also extended off the court, helping the league gain more popularity. She was in New York on Wednesday and wore a stunning accessory on the red carpet.
The Indiana Fever star attended the "A Year in TIME" event in New York City, celebrating the magazine's awards. The TIME Person of the Year was also announced, featuring a performance from Icon of the Year Elton John and an interview with CEO of the Year Lisa Su.
Before the event began, Clark walked the red carpet in an elegant black dress, accessorized with a ring and a couple of bracelets. One of the bracelets was a Prada Eternal Gold Snake, made of white gold and lab-grown diamonds.
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According to Prada's official website, the bracelet is priced at a whopping $67,000. That’s just $9,535 less than her rookie salary in the WNBA, though she earned more through sponsorships alone.
Before fans could criticize Caitlin Clark for wearing such an expensive bracelet, one X user explained that most red carpet items worn by celebrities are often borrowed or gifted. Clark also wore a black Prada dress.
The Indiana Fever superstar was the first WNBA player to win TIME Magazine Athlete of the Year. She's also the second basketball player to receive the honor after LeBron James, who was the 2020 Athlete of the Year.
Other winners include the United States Women's National Team in 2019, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in 2021, New York Yankees star Aaron Judge in 2022 and football icon Lionel Messi in 2023.
Caitlin Clark excited about the future of the WNBA
As part of the "A Year in TIME" event, Caitlin Clark had a conversation with NBC’s Maria Taylor. They discussed a variety of topics, primarily Clark’s impact on the WNBA and women’s basketball in general. The reigning Rookie of the Year is excited for the future of the league.
"I feel like we're just scratching the surface," Clark said. "If you would have told people this is where the WNBA is, five years ago. … People probably wouldn't have believed you, because they never thought that was possible."
"They never thought people would buy tickets, they never thought we’d play on ABC, never thought we'd be on ESPN. They never thought there could be sold out arenas or little kids wanting to wear WNBA jerseys."
Clark remained in the spotlight even during the WNBA offseason. However, she will stay inactive from basketball after rejecting an offer from Unrivaled and has not signed with an overseas team.
