Caitlin Clark, the rising star in women's basketball, won two major awards at the 2024 ESPY Awards despite not being present at the event. Clark, 22, was honored with the Best College Athlete Women’s Sports and Best Record-Breaking Performance awards during the ceremony held on July 11.
Clark accepted her first award during the red carpet broadcast, where Serena Williams later hosted the show. She later received her second award, beating out NFL player Christian McCaffrey for the Best Record-Breaking Performance. Unable to attend the event in person, Clark shared her gratitude through a virtual message.
“I just wanted to say thank you for this recognition. Obviously, I could not be there tonight," Clark said. She explained her absence, noting, "I’m a little bit busy in Indianapolis."
She expressed her appreciation for the support from her teammates and coaches at the University of Iowa, saying, "This award means a lot not only to myself but to my teammates and coaches that I had at the University of Iowa. It’s special for all of us and it was a special year in women’s athletics. Thank you, ESPN."
Clark concluded her message by acknowledging the other nominees and winners, stating, "I just want to give a shout-out to all the nominees and award winners tonight. I’m sad I couldn’t be there but I hope you all have an amazing night.”
Leading up to the ESPYs, Clark had the most nominations, including nods for Best Athlete, Women’s Sports, Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports, and Best Record-Breaking Performance for becoming the NCAA’s All-Time Scoring Leader.
Clark's popularity has surged following her standout college basketball career at the University of Iowa. In April, she was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and debuted professionally with the Indiana Fever in May.
Despite her achievements, Clark did not make the U.S. women’s basketball team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She responded to the news in June, telling Indy Star sports reporter Chloe Peterson, “I’m excited for the girls [who] are on the team. I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could have gone either way with me being on the team [or] me not being on the team. I’m excited for them.”
Clark added, “I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, so it’ll be fun to watch them.” She emphasized that she felt “no disappointment” and viewed it as motivation for future opportunities.
Stephen A. Smith defended Clark against criticisms related to her popularity, noting in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, “Race is always a component we can’t ignore, but it doesn’t always have to be negative. She happens to be white, but also happens to be a terrific basketball player, a terrific person with terrific family background with terrific marketability assets.”
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