2024 was an awe-inducing year for all of sports. The New York Liberty finally won their first Finals trophy, the Boston Celtics won another championship ring, Rafael Nadal retired, Simone Biles won another gold, Lewis Hamilton played his last race for Mercedes, and oh, the Paris Olympics took place. And despite not being a part of any of these, it was Caitlin Clark who was awarded the TIME Athlete of the Year award.
Not even Shohei Ohtani with his $700 million deal and $85.3 million net worth, his 50/50 season (the only one in MLB history), his NL MVP award, or his first World Series win with the Dodgers could overpower the raw power the 22-year-old had in 2024. Sure, not many would agree, but rapper Ma$e had other thoughts. “I don’t know what athlete had a better year than her. What athlete? Tell me, I’m listening,” he said on the Come and Talk 2 Me podcast.
“She took a team that had nobody on it to the NCAA Championship. Then she took a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs in years at Indiana to the playoffs. Then she broke every rookie NBA record on the way while doing it,” the musician continues. Did Iowa lose for the second year in a row? Did Indiana exit the postseason in the first round? Yes, but basketball is a team sport. And No. 22 helped lead the charge as much as she could.
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USA Today via Reuters Aug 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Sky during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m just trying to figure out who had a better year. I’m not even being funny, being honest,” Ma$e says. Another host does point out that there is also Jayson Tatum, who helped the Celtics win their massive 18th championship and generally helped the team be one of the best in the league in his career.
The rapper does agree on one player taking the cake – Shohei Ohtani, who became the first-ever player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season and ended the year with an insane 54-59 record. “That (Ohtani) may be somebody we can definitely put above her (Clark),” Ma$e says on the podcast. And he wasn’t even pitching this season.
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Who should have actually won TIME AOY: Caitlin Clark or Shohei Ohtani?
Let’s just be honest – the sports world has become too used to the Japanese superstar breaking records since he began playing in MLB in 2018. Last year when Ohtani was leading the league in home runs and striking out batters faster than they could see it coming, he was a general menace on both the mound and in the batter’s box. And yet, it was Messi who took the TIME AOY title. To be fair, when Aaron Judge broke the single-season record for home runs in 2022 at 62, he did win the honor.
Although Ma$e clarifies, “She’s NOT the best player in the WNBA, let’s be clear about that,” he still does not think anyone had a better year than her, except the aforementioned yakyu shonen. Either way, joining the Dodgers and winning the World Series was just the cherry on top for Ohtani of what has already been a successful, never-before-seen athletic career. Caitlin Clark, on the other hand, only just finished her rookie season.
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You can say that the Indiana Fever guard helped the league get charter jets or broke WNBA home attendance records, and even some on the road. However, some might say that the lack of a national championship and even being left off the Olympic team does not make her eligible for the title. Either way, the debate is never-ending.
“Definitely Put Above (Caitlin Clark)”: $85.3M Worth Athlete Overpowers Jayson Tatum To Challenge WNBA ROTY’s Times Honor
