Caitlin Clark reflected on the intense attention she's received over the past year and her impact on women's sports.
WNBA Star Caitlin Clark Feels 'Powerful' for Bringing Attention to Women's Sports: 'People Are Invested'
Caitlin Clark had quite a wild 2024.
The WNBA star, 22, made headlines during her first season with the Indiana Fever by breaking basketball records and bringing up the ratings for women's sports.
Caitlin Clark brought a new wave of attention to the WNBA in 2024.
"You feel powerful," she explained in a recent interview about her impact on the female league. "Instantly, everybody goes crazy. People are invested in the game, they love the game, and that's what makes it so fun for me. These people aren't supporting women's sports to check a box. It’s going to be the new normal."
Due to her rise in popularity, Clark admitted that being in the spotlight was something she had to adjust to. "I tell people I feel like the most controversial person," the athlete explained.
Caitlin Clark feels 'powerful' over her impact on women's sports.
"But I am not. It’s just because of all the storylines that surround me. I literally try to live and treat everybody in the same exact respectful, kind way. It just confuses me at times," she noted.
Despite the success, Clark emphasized how her African American teammates and the athletes who came before her are the people who built the empire she's gaining notoriety from. "I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege," she said.
Caitlin Clark doesn't understand people think she's 'controversial.'
"A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them," the former Iowa Hawkeyes teammate continued. "The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing."
Clark also touched on her growing friendship with Taylor Swift after she attended "back-to-back” Eras Tour shows at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. "People are just going crazy that I’m there," she said of the experience. "I thought people would be so in their own world, ready to see Taylor. And it was just completely the opposite."
Caitlin Clark opened up about her friendship with Taylor Swift.
The superstar player revealed the pop icon, 34, wrote her a sweet note asking if she wanted to attend one of her boyfriend Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs games. "She said ‘Trav and I’ were excited to get to a Fever game now that the tour was winding down and invited Clark to attend a Chiefs game with her,” she recalled.
Time conducted the interview with Clark after she was named their Athlete of the Year.