Caitlin Clark has been called many things.
The “GOAT,” “transformative,” “the future” and Rookie of the Year are just a few descriptors that have been used to characterize Clark.
On Tuesday, she added TIME Athlete of the Year to her list of monikers. For the first time in her professional career, Clark talked at length about the narratives that followed her rookie season, the rivalry with Sky star Angel Reese and everything that’s come with her inescapable level of fame.
“I’ve been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women’s sports, let alone women’s basketball, and turn them into fans,” Clark told TIME.
The record-breaking ratings that followed Clark in college carried over to the WNBA. Of the league’s 20 most-watched games last season, including the playoffs, Clark and the Fever played in 18 of them. The league’s two most-watched regular-season games since 2001 are a pair of 2024 Sky-Fever matchups, which is no surprise considering Clark and Reese’s history and fan bases.
Clark and Reese were pitted against one another in 2023 following LSU’s NCAA title win over Iowa. In the game’s closing minutes, Reese pointed to her ring finger while shadowing Clark on the court and was subsequently smeared by pundits in sports media, politics and beyond.
A rivalry that took root in college carried over to the WNBA when both stars were drafted by franchises separated by less than 200 miles, with their own storied past. Both players downplayed the rivalry throughout their rookie seasons. Clark told TIME, “We’re not best friends by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another. Yes, we have had tremendous battles. But when have I ever guarded her? And when has she guarded me?”
Reese has echoed that sentiment on multiple occasions, saying she and Clark don’t dislike each other. On her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, Reese spoke at length about their history and said she hopes they could be teammates one day.
In the pair’s first professional meeting, a climax was reached when Clark was hip-checked by Sky guard Chennedy Carter as she waited for the inbounds pass from Aliyah Boston, her Fever teammate and the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year. Reese stood up from the nearby bench and cheered as Carter was called for a common foul. The following day it was upgraded to a Flagrant 1.
“Obviously, that shouldn’t ever happen within a game,” Clark told TIME. “But basketball is physical. Your emotions can get the best of you. My emotions have gotten the best of me many times.”
“I don’t even know if she really knew what happened,” Clark said regarding Reese cheering from the bench. “Honestly, I don’t think she was cheering because somebody hit me. I really don’t think that would be the case. I hope not.”
Clark didn’t shy away from her perceived snub from the Olympic roster. She was adamant that the takes insinuating her inclusion on the team would benefit USA Basketball from a marketing perspective weren’t fair.
When it came to addressing narratives regarding the way she was guarded all season, specifically getting poked in the eye by Sun guard DiJonai Carrington in the playoffs, Clark called out the sexism that fed into harmful takes.
“If that would have happened in the NBA, do you think people would have showed up the next day and been like, ‘Hey, Tyrese Haliburton, did you poke Steph Curry in the eye on purpose?’” Clark said.
The Fever and Sky will meet five times in 2025, including the season opener on May 17.