As Indiana Fever, point guard Caitlin Clark won the TIME Athlete of the Year, many of the comments were saying how she was deserving. However, WNBA Hall-of-Famer Sheryl Swoopes remained skeptical. She wasn't questioning that Clark won the award but how and why she was selected. On the Gil's Arena Podcast, she explained more of her skepticism.

“I don’t think I’m surprised, I’m curious to know who the other candidates were,” Swoopes said. “But the fact that that’s the very first WNBA player to ever win TIME Magazine Athlete of the Year is pretty special. My question is the criteria. Is it based on her performance on the court, which she had a great year, or is it more about the impact that she had on the game this season?”

Either way, Clark has had an unbelievable impact on the WNBA. Increased viewership and breaking rookie and regular season records are only glimpses of her productivity. Not to mention, the Fever had 37 of their 40 games on national television. Although players like Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell were phenomenal in their own right, Clark's impact transcended anything before.

Sheryl Swoopes' comments aren't the first for the Fever or Caitlin Clark

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Swoopes has dropped skeptical comments about Clark. For instance, Swoopes said that Clark wasn't dominating as a rookie despite averaging nearly 20 points per game. Also, the Fever guard broke the single-season assists record as a rookie. She also broke the record for the most three-pointers made in a season. However, Swoopes clarified that she's not a Clark hater on a podcast. Despite that, it left a sour taste in people's mouths.

Now, the Hall-of-Famer makes an interesting point. There are no public criteria for their selection of athlete of the year. The TIME Athlete of the Year made its debut in 2019, so it's still relatively new. Clark marks the first WNBA player on the cover. With players like A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart in the league, it raises some questions. Some could think she was picked because of her race. Clark dismissed that rumor in the TIME magazine article.

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“A lot of those players in the league that have been good have been Black players,” Clark said. “This league has kind of been built on them. 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 have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
 
Clark could continue to rack up more awards before the 2025 WNBA season officially tips off.