The AP Female Athlete of the Year results were announced Wednesday, Dec. 24, and no female golfers finished in the top three of voting, despite some strong candidates.
Predictably, WNBA star Caitlin Clark came out on top, earning 35/74 votes. Clark’s impact on women’s sports in 2024 is undeniable. Her team, the Indiana Fever, saw a 318% increase in home attendance this season, and sold out every game both home and away. She was the NCAA Player of the Year and WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2024.
Gymnast Simone Biles was relatively close, earning 25 votes. Biles is a three-time winner of the award, in 2016, 2019 and 2023. Biles won three gold medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and four medals overall.
The third place finisher was Algerian boxer Imane Khelif with four votes. Khelif won the welterweight gold medal in Paris, but is most known for the viral harassment she received in the wake of her fight, that resulted in criminal complaints involving Elon Musk, Logan Paul and Donald Trump.
Neither Nelly Korda or Lydia Ko were mentioned in the AP’s release of the results. Korda finished the LPGA Tour season with seven wins and a major championship, as well as being one of the strongest forces on the United States Solheim Cup team. Lydia Ko won three LPGA events, including a major, plus won the Olympic Gold, stamping her spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
The last golfer to win the AP Female Athlete of the Year was Lorena Ochoa, who won in both 2006 and 2007. Before Ochoa, Annika Sörenstam won three times in a row from 2003-2005.
