It’s been a whirlwind of a year and a half for Caitlin Clark. From rookie sensation to Indiana Fever’s not-so-secret weapon, the 22-year-old basketball prodigy has now cemented her place in an even rarer league, gracing the cover of TIME magazine’s “Inspiring Women” edition alongside none other than the illustrious Taylor Swift and the legendary Serena Williams. Yes, the same magazine that has dubbed women like Jane Fonda and Halle Berry as “changemakers for a better world” has now added a new basketball star to its hall of fame. Watch out, world.
As if Clark needed any more badges on her sash, this honor adds another feather to her cap—a cap that’s already pretty full thanks to her jaw-dropping performances in both college and the WNBA. In a league that hadn’t seen a single game surpass one million viewers since 2008, Caitlin was involved in twenty of the twenty-three million-viewer games last season. Coincidence? Hardly. Let’s just say Clark has an uncanny ability to make eyeballs stick to screens, proving once again that gravity-defying three-pointers and no-look assists are still mesmerizing to the masses.
For the Indiana Fever, this has been a Cinderella story in the making. Before the 2024 season even got started, Clark mania had already taken ticket sales to new heights. The Fever, who previously couldn’t draw more than 81,336 fans across the entire 2023 season, blew past that number just five games into 2024. Is it because of Clark’s on-court wizardry or her “can’t-look-away” rookie year drama? You decide.
Oh, and let’s not forget the honors stacking up behind her. After being drafted as the clear-cut first pick in 2024 (shocking absolutely no one), Clark went on to deliver a rookie season for the books. Her stats alone are enough to give any player’s ego a run for its money: 19.2 points per game, 8.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and an impressive 35.4 minutes per game—an endurance level that would impress even Serena Williams.
Speaking of records, Clark isn’t just breaking them; she’s practically rewriting the WNBA’s history books. She now holds the rookie record for assists and led the entire league in total assists (337) and three-pointers (122). Oh, and did we mention she notched two triple-doubles in her rookie season, making her the first-ever rookie to pull off such a feat? If anyone’s wondering, that’s a basketball stat that’s harder to snag than Taylor Swift’s sold-out tour tickets.
With numbers like these, it’s no wonder Clark has garnered the admiration of TIME’s editors, placing her among global icons and megastars. And with the Fever making their first playoff appearance since 2016 under her leadership, it’s safe to say that Clark has sparked more than just a media buzz. She’s practically breathing new life into the WNBA’s reputation and viewership, one mind-blowing assist at a time.
As for Clark’s reaction to all this? Knowing her, she’ll probably flash a trademark smirk, roll her eyes, and get back to knocking down threes from impossible distances. Because at the end of the day, whether it’s breaking a record, winning Rookie of the Year, or landing on the cover of TIME, for Caitlin Clark, it’s all in a day’s work.