Caitlin Clark, the reigning queen of deep threes and dazzling dimes, has added another accolade to her packed trophy case: Time magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year. Naturally, the Indiana Fever star celebrated the honor in style, dropping a series of chic photos from her shoot on Instagram.
Clad in wide-leg trousers and a crisp Nike crop top that screamed “effortless icon,” Clark captioned her post:
“TIME Athlete of the Year 🖤⭐️.”
The comment section? A virtual VIP lounge of notable figures falling over themselves to applaud her. But the real highlight? A one-word reaction from none other than Taylor Lautner—yes, that Taylor Lautner, aka Taylor Swift’s 2009 beau and former werewolf-in-chief from Twilight.
“YES,” Lautner emphatically declared, leaving followers wondering if the caps lock was intentional or if he just ran out of syllables mid-thought.
Not to be outdone, WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu chimed in with, “A MF model,” and analyst Monica McNutt brought the heat with a trio of fire emojis. Meanwhile, tennis sensation Coco Gauff skipped the dictionary altogether, opting for three heart-eye emojis. Translation: Caitlin Clark is the MVP of their Instagram feeds too.
But let’s not kid ourselves—Clark is no stranger to stealing the spotlight, even when the spotlight belongs to someone else.
Caitlin Clark: The Swiftie Showstopper
Case in point: Clark recently turned heads at Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” performance in Indianapolis. While mere mortals in the crowd were screaming their lungs out to “Love Story,” Clark unintentionally became the main event. Fans swarmed her, snapping selfies and hurling friendship bracelets her way like she was the headliner.
“People are just going crazy that I’m there,” Clark told Time. “I thought people would be so in their own world, ready to see Taylor. And it was just completely the opposite.”
The Fever star managed to upstage Swift at her own concert—a feat so audacious, it might warrant its own Time cover.
As for Swift? Ever the good sport, she’s pledged to attend an Indiana Fever game next season with Kansas City Chiefs tight end (and boyfriend) Travis Kelce in tow. Swift even extended an invite for Clark to catch a Chiefs game, which raises an important question: is this the start of a WNBA-NFL-Pop Queen crossover universe?
Lautner’s “YES” and the Case for Simple Genius
But back to Lautner, whose singular comment has left the internet in a tizzy. Was this his way of passing the torch as Swift’s most iconic Taylor-adjacent ex? Or does the man just really love sports? Either way, his one-word salute proves you don’t need a paragraph to make an impact—just strategic capitalization.
Meanwhile, Clark continues to thrive as basketball’s it-girl and an Instagram darling. Whether she’s breaking ankles on the court or hearts in the comments, one thing’s for sure: Caitlin Clark knows how to keep the ball—and the hype—rolling.
So here’s a toast to Clark, Lautner, Swift, and everyone else basking in the chaotic brilliance of this crossover event. May your caps locks stay stuck, your bracelets fly far, and your fandoms collide spectacularly.
