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TIME Athlete of the Year Caitlin Clark shared her pleasure for the way forward for the WNBA—and ladies’s sports activities as a complete—throughout a dialog with NBC sports activities producer and broadcaster Maria Taylor on the “A Year in TIME” occasion in New York on Dec. 11.
Coinciding with the discharge of TIME’s Person of the Year problem, the occasion additionally included a efficiency from TIME’s Icon of the Year, Elton John and a dialog with TIME’s CEO of the Year, Lisa Su.
From ending up her remaining yr in faculty on the University of Iowa (the place she set a number of NCAA Division 1 data), to finishing her first season with the Indiana Fever as WNBA Rookie of the Year, Clark admitted that it has been a whirlwind of a yr for her, particularly at simply age 22.
Though she admitted it’s “exhausting to wrap my head round” the highlight at instances, Clark shared that she takes the accountability of being a performer and position mannequin for younger individuals very significantly, and he or she believes this type of consideration goes to develop into extra regular for ladies’s sports activities gamers extra broadly.
“It’s particular to see these younger ladies and people younger boys that carry indicators or are with their mother or dad … That’s a reminiscence that they’re going to share endlessly,” Clark mentioned. “I bear in mind my first WNBA recreation, top-of-the-line reminiscences of my childhood, very influential in eager to be an expert basketball participant, eager to be an ideal particular person … so I simply attempt to embody that each single day.”
Taylor, who has coated the WNBA for a few years, requested Clark about the place she sees the WNBA headed after its reputation growth over the previous yr—a growth that was definitely due not less than partially to Clark’s performances that captivated audiences. Clark mentioned it’s unattainable to foretell that form of progress that’s doable for the game, pointing to the unexpectedly fast ascent of her personal profession in addition to the large leaps the WNBA has taken in just some brief years.
“I really feel like we’re simply scratching the floor,” she mentioned. “If you’d have instructed individuals that is the place the WNBA is, 5 years in the past … individuals in all probability would not have believed you, as a result of they by no means thought that was doable. They by no means thought individuals would purchase tickets; they by no means thought we’d play on ABC, by no means thought we’d be on ESPN. They by no means thought there might be bought out arenas or little youngsters eager to put on WNBA jerseys.”
The smartest factor to do now, Clark says, is to put money into girls’s sports activities, as a result of “the worth is simply going up.” It’s one thing she hinted that she herself hopes to take an excellent higher half in ultimately.
“I like basketball,” she mentioned, “and hopefully, as soon as [playing] basketball ends, I can nonetheless discover issues that I’m actually enthusiastic about and may do; I’ll hopefully be an proprietor of a sports activities workforce at some point.”
Clark additionally responded to suggestions because the publication of the Athlete of the Year article, which Taylor mentioned has been overwhelmingly constructive however has included some detrimental feedback from these like conservative media commentator Megyn Kelly who accused Clark of “apologizing for being white.”
Clark asserted that she believes she’s “earned each single factor” that’s occurred to her, however she’s simply as fast to acknowledge the Black girls that got here earlier than her within the WNBA, together with her favourite participant Maya Moore.
“There’s been so many superb Black girls which were on this league, and persevering with to uplift them is essential,” she mentioned, “and that is one thing I’m very conscious of.”
On the criticisms from these like Kelly, she added: “I feel my finest ability is simply blocking out the noise, and hopefully it continues to be, as a result of with the best way issues are going and the place the WNBA goes, you need that focus, and also you embrace it, and that’s what makes this so enjoyable.”
Both on the court docket and off, Clark appears conscious of her affect although admits that at her younger age she continues to be “determining life.” And after enjoying 82 video games in 2024, she’s attempting to get pleasure from the remainder she’s been afforded earlier than she kicks again into gear for an additional season.
“I’m very lucky and grateful, however I really feel like I can simply proceed to enhance.”
A Year in TIME was introduced by American Family Insurance, Absolut, Land O’Lakes, and Nike.
