Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani and Indiana Fever rookie guard Kaitlyn Clark were selected as 2024 Associated Press Players of the Year.
Ohtani is the third woman to win the award, and Clark is only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first presented in 1931 (Cheryl Swoops, Rebecca Lobaugh and Candice Parker).
Ohtani helped the Dodgers win the World Series and had a stellar season after signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with Los Angeles. He won his third Most Valuable Player Award and finished first in the National League by batting .310 with 54 home runs, 130 RBI, 134 runs, and 59 stolen bases.
Only Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James have won more AP Male Athlete of the Year awards 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 selection helped lead the Fever to the postseason for the first time in eight seasons, setting rookie records for points, assists and 3-pointers.
She also helped make the WNBA essential television, with the Fever playing 36 of the 40 regular season games scheduled to be televised nationally. Clark capped her first campaign by winning WNBA Rookie of the Year honors and becoming the first rookie to be named to the All-WNBA First Team since 2008.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY. Shohei Ohtani and Caitlin Clark win AP Player of the Year honors
