Caitlin Clark named Time's Athlete of the Year

Her arrival to the best women's basketball league in the world raised the intrigue of fans, seeing a player destined to mark an era in the WNBA and the U.S. national team. Her start as a professional has been as expected so far. A combination of media relevance and on-court performance has made Caitlin Clark the recipient of one of sporting world's most heralded distinctions.

Time designated Clark, whom it defines as a "rising star in American sports," as the Athlete of the Year.

At just 22 years old and in her first year as a pro, she has been instrumental in bringing the Indiana Fever, who selected her with the No. 1 pick of the WNBA draft, back to the playoffs after the franchise missed out last season. They didn't advance past the first round, but Clark lifted the team to a \ top-eight finish.

In her first year, Clark played a total of 42 games, averaging 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 8.5 assists, leading the league in the latter category. The performance led her to win several awards during the season: Player of the Week (3 times), Player of the Month (1), Rookie of the Month (4) and Rookie of the Year.

In addition, she became the first rookie in history to make First Team All-WNBA.

In doing so, Clark succeeds Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi as Time magazine's Athlete of the Year.