WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes reacted to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark being named TIME’s Athlete of the Year, and took another unprovoked dig at her. The three-time Olympic winner questioned the criteria to select and give the guard the prestigious recognition.
“I don’t think I’m surprised,” Swoopes said of Clark winning the award on ‘Gil’s Arena’, via The Daily Mail. “I’m curious to know who the other candidates were, but the fact that that’s the very first WNBA player to ever win TIME Magazine Athlete of the Year is pretty special.”
“My question is, like the criteria, is it based on her performance on the court? Which, yeah, she had a great year, or is it more about the impact that she had on the game this season?” she added.
In the article, TIME explained that they took into consideration both aspects, her performance in the court, as well as her mediatic impact and how she has helped grow the women’s game.
Caitlin Clark attends the 2024 A Year In TIME dinner (Jason Mendez/Getty Images)
Clark not only won the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, she also was an All-WNBA First Team selection, and the league’s leading assist and three-point shooter. Clark’s impact extended beyond the court, elevating the WNBA’s popularity to new heights.
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Clark is the third woman to win Time’s Athlete of the Year
Clark is the third woman to win the award after Megan Rapinoe in 2019 and Simone Biles in 2021. She follows Lionel Messi, who was named Athlete of the Year in 2023, after making his massive move to the MLS.
She is also the youngest person ever to win the award at just 22 years old. While she wasn’t selected to compete in the Olympics or didn’t win the Championship, she was definitely one of the most talked about athletes in the US, leading to massive change for women’s sports.
