Caitlin Clark beats Simone Biles to major honor and emulates Sheryl Swoopes
Caitlin Clark has been named AP Female Athlete of the Year as the WNBA superstar beat out Simone Biles to the prestigious award.
Having enjoyed a record-breaking spell at Iowa, Clark departed college as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark dominated on the court, finishing as the WNBA Rookie of the Year after posting 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and a league-leading 8.4 assists per game while setting several records – including the single-game assist record (19).
Clark led the Indiana Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016 and is spearheading a women’s sporting revolution. The 22-year-old’s unique appeal transitioned to the professional level too, with Clark’s Fever regularly breaking the record for the most-watched WNBA game in history.
Earlier this month, Clark was announced as TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2024. She has swiftly added another accolade to her collection after Clark was named the AP Female Athlete of the Year for 2024.
To name the Fever guard the winner, 75 sports journalists from the Associated Press and its members cast their votes with Clark clinching 35. Olympics icon Biles came second with 25 votes, while boxer Imane Khelif received four.
Clark’s win is monumental – she is the fourth pro women’s basketball player to claim the award since its inception in 1931. The reigning Rookie of the Year joins an exclusive list of basketball legends such as Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995), and Candace Parker (2008 and 2021)
In a phone interview with AP to receive the award, Clark mentioned her admiration for Parker – but notably did not mention the outspoken Swoopes. Clark said: “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.”
Swoopes has consistently downplayed Clark’s performances in the WNBA ever since she arrived in the league. Clark’s individual success is certainly a testament to the rise of women’s sports and women’s basketball, but her role as a catalyst should not be downplayed.
Rather than play down the influence of Clark, Lobo has heaped praise on her. In an AP interview, The 51-year-old said of Clark: “She’s brought unprecedented attention both in the building, but also viewership to the sport that was worthy of it but didn’t have it yet. There’s never been anything like this. That timeframe from 1995-97 was a baby step in the progression of it all.
“This is a giant leap forward. I’ve never seen anything like this. There’s more attention than the sport’s ever had.”
