Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has been named Time's Athlete of the Year.
Clark's rise to stardom has also brought the WNBA to new heights. An average of more than two million people tuned in to see Clark's WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever on ESPN, and her appearances have driven historic ticket sales for the league. More people watched the WNBA championship game this year than each game the NBA finals or MLB's World Series.
The 22-year-old was picked first by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Draft just days after leading Iowa to the NCAA women's basketball championship game — breaking the all-time college scoring record in the process.
Clark started in all 40 regular-season games with the Fever, averaging 19.2 points and a league-leading 8.4 assists. Her stellar play helped the Fever reach the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Clark was named WNBA rookie of the year in a nearly unanimous vote in October.
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Along the way, Time writes, Clark has energized both the league and its surging fanbase.
“You feel powerful,” Clark told the magazine. “Instantly, everybody goes crazy. People are invested in the game, they love the game, and that's what makes it so fun for me. These people aren't supporting women's sports to check a box. It’s going to be the new normal.”
Last season, Scripps Sports broadcasted WNBA games every Friday night on ION. ION is a subsidiary of Scripps News' parent company, E.W. Scripps.
