Angel Reese And Caitlyn Clark Named The Sporting News’ Athletes Of The Year
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Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have been named Athletes of the Year by The Sporting News, as the two collegiate basketball stars took the sports world by storm with defining regular and post season performances.
Reese, a forward for LSU’s women’s basketball team, and Clark, a high-scoring guard for Iowa State, faced off in the NCAA national title game this past April, with Reese leading her Tigers squad to a 102-85 victory over Clark and the Hawkeyes.
Named the Most Outstanding Player at the Women’s Final Four, Reese finished last season ranked second in the nation in rebounding, fifth in scoring and set a single-season NCAA record for double-doubles with 34. Clark, who joined Reese as a first-team All-American, and her team came up short in their quest for a national championship last season, but she has put together one of the most storybook careers in NCAA history.
She is currently on pace to become the all-time leading scorer in Division I women’s basketball and is likely to become the only player in history to finish their career among the top 10 in points and assists. During the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Clark compiled more points than any other player in a single tourney run in history.
Both players have also gained fanfare off the court, appearing in nationally televised commercials and being featured on the cover of magazines. Reese has the highest NIL valuation of any female athlete in college basketball, at an estimated 1.7 million.
Reactions to news of Reese and Clark sharing the award were mixed, with a contingent of sports fans arguing that Reese should’ve been honored individually due to defeating Clark in the national title game and bringing an increased amount of attention to the sport. However, others made their case for Clark being more deserving due to her historic play and continued dominance into the 2023-24 NCAA season.
The last woman to be named The Sporting News’ Athlete of the Year was Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1988.
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