Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani and Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark were named the 2024 Associated Press Athletes of the Year.
Ohtani won the award for the third time, and Clark is only the fourth women’s basketball player to win (Sheryl Swoopes, Rebecca Lobo and Candace Parker) since the award was first given out in 1931.
Ohtani helped the Dodgers win the World Series and had a remarkable season after signing a $700 million, 10-year contract with Los Angeles. He hit .310 with 54 home runs, 130 RBI, scored 134 runs, and stole 59 bases, winning his third Most Valuable Player award and first in the National League.
Only Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, and LeBron James have won the AP Male Athlete of the Year more times than Ohtani.
Clark immediately made an impact in the WNBA after leading Iowa to the national championship game and breaking the NCAA Division I career scoring record.
The first overall pick helped lead the Fever to the postseason for the first time in eight seasons, setting rookie marks for scoring, assists, and three-pointers made.
She also helped make the WNBA must-see television, with the Fever playing 36 of their 40 regular season games scheduled to air nationally. Clark capped her first campaign by winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-WNBA first team, the first for a rookie since 2008.
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