Even going again to their school days, Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark have at all times been in contrast to one another. Clark took school basketball by storm, whereas Bueckers was sidelined with a knee damage. Then Clark in her rookie season established herself as top-of-the-line gamers within the league, whereas Bueckers broke by way of and led UConn to a different nationwide championship.
Now, each gamers are within the league, however each had very totally different seasons. Clark battled a nagging groin damage the entire 12 months, and struggled along with her effectivity, whereas Bueckers was far and away the perfect rookie in her class.Â
This has brought about the 2 to roped into debate once more about who the higher participant is. Nonetheless, it’s a bit unfair that that is even a dialog within the first place.
It’s troublesome to immediately examine Clark and Bueckers
For starters, the 2 have two utterly totally different playstyles. Clark is extra of a pure level guard than Bueckers, and is a pass-first participant that has unimaginable vary from three. Bueckers is a bucket-getter, who lives within the mid-range, and has quite a lot of methods of scoring.
Along with that, it’s type of powerful to evaluate Clark off of this season. She performed solely 13 video games, and was clearly hampered in most of them. Nonetheless, she nonetheless averaged virtually 17 factors per sport, and 9 assists per sport.
The Fever have been capable of survive with out her, and did advance previous the primary spherical of the playoffs, however that may be a testomony to the crew reinventing their identification on the fly. For Bueckers, she thrived in a scoring position with the Wings. She exploded for 44 factors towards the Sparks in August, and shot 81% from the sphere within the course of.
Bueckers additionally had 17 video games with a minimum of 20 factors, and on the season, she was environment friendly, taking pictures 48 p.c from the sphere total. She did develop as a passer because the season went on and saved her turnovers low.
Clark and Bueckers are set to be the WNBA’s finest gamers
Each gamers haven’t solely proven that they belong within the league, however that they’ve the potential to be superstars. Clark is on tempo to be arguably turn into the league’s best shooter of all-time. Bueckers’ versatility is simply rising, and even with a whole lot of expertise on the prime of the W, she has the potential to be the perfect participant within the league for many of her prime.
Each guards are at all times going to be in contrast to one another. There isn’t a escaping it. However, they shouldn’t be within the first place, since they each deliver one thing totally different to the desk.
