Time Magazine skips over WNBA champion by naming Caitlin Clark Athlete of the Year

Time Magazine has a tough job at the conclusion of each year, as they parse the previous 12 months to name their annual Athlete of the Year.

Caitlin Clark was named Time Magazine's Athlete of the Year for 2024, putting her in rarefied air. She joins LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Aaron Judge, Simone Biles and the 2019 United States women's soccer team on this exclusive list of winners.

Clark will take some time to unwind during the offseason and prepare for her second WNBA season. She will not be on the court to play for Unrivaled, a three on three basketball league featuring WNBA players.

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According to ESPN and others, Clark received a base offer of $1 million to participate, but the Indiana Fever star decided to take a more lowkey approach to her offseason. She's not the only who felt that way.

Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson will also not suit up for Unrivaled. Sports Business Journal noted that Wilson also had a "historic" offer to play, but put other interests and recuperation ahead of playing more basketball in the winter. Time Magazine could very well have tabbed Wilson as Athlete of the Year, given her splendid campaign.

The WNBA reached new heights in 2024 with the arrival of Caitlin Clark to the league. Her addition brought millions of new eyes to the league, and her play on the court showcased her incredible talent.

Not to be outdone, A'ja Wilson had one of the best seasons the WNBA has ever seen, winning a unanimous MVP award and leading her Las Vegas Aces to the semifinals.

A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark have been the two shining catalysts on the court, continuing to transcend women's basketball.

Clark put together one of the best rookie seasons the WNBA has ever seen, leading her Indiana Fever team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Even during her own dominant performances, Clark made time to praise MVP A'ja Wilson.

Clark's impact on the Fever allowed her to secure the Rookie of the Year award nearly unanimously.

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Clark guiding the Fever to the playoffs was no easy feat, with the previously struggling Indiana team reaching a .500 record for the first time since 2019 in August.

And after averaging 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game, according to ESPN, there were talks of Clark being in the MVP race with Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson.

However, in the build-up to Clark's clash against Wilson, when the Fever took on the Aces during the regular season, the Indiana guard quickly put her MVP talk to bed and praised Wilson's game.

According to Essentially Sport, Clark said: "She's pretty incredible. I mean, you watch her, and it's just unguardable. There's nothing anybody can do to stop it. She just like dominates, whether it's her mid-range game or she puts it on the floor. She's just so athletic but also affects the game on both ends."

"Everybody in the league knows you can't guard it; you basically live with what she's going to do to you every single night. You contain it as best you can. She's going to make some shots; it's going to be tough, and like I said, it's going to be a tall task to contain multiple people."

The 2023 WNBA Finals MVP missed out on winning the MVP award last season to the New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart, and she made it her mission to win it this season. Wilson earned her third career MVP in 2024.

Wilson put on some show-stopping performances in 2024, including 36 points and 12 rebounds against the Dallas Wings in June and 42 points against the same opposition in August.

The two-time WNBA champion led the Las Vegas Aces to 27 wins and 13 losses, putting them fourth in the overall WNBA Standings.

Wilson has averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds this season, leading her team in offense and defense. She led the league in points average and blocks average (2.6 blocks per game) and ranked second in rebounding to Chicago's Angel Reese.

A late-season injury to her ankle gave MVP hopes a slight wobble, but wasn't enough to stop her winning her third MVP award. She joined Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson as the only players in WNBA history to win three MVPs.

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