From getting kicked out of PE class for being too competitive to breaking records in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark has come a long way! Her thirty-footers, flashy dimes, and desire to compete are second to none, and on the business end? She has been an absolute torpedo for the W. Clark is projected to bring in nearly a billion dollars of revenue to the league this year, and is part of Nike’s new focus on women’s sports. However, as deep as her bag and resume is, there are some important concerns about her game that no one talks about. The most prominent? Her turnover rate.
See, even the best ball-handlers are bound to get turnovers. After all, half the job is trying to make the right play and share the ball with your teammates, which can definitely lead to steals at times. However, Caitlin Clark’s TOV rate was something out of this world, and not in a good way. In her first season in Indy colors, CC averaged a whopping 5.6 turnovers per game! Not to mention, that stat has increased to 5.9 during her sophomore season.
There were definitely more positives than negatives in Clark’s rookie year, but maybe the rose-tinted glasses were too strong! After all, Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers is having an amazing first season in the league, but the hype is nowhere near her Indiana counterpart. Part of it is because Dallas isn’t doing amazingly well, but many feel Bueckers’ statistics aren’t up to the mark either.
The perfect example for all of this? A recent episode of the No Offseason Pod. Sabreena Merchant, Ben Pickman, and Zena Keita sat down and discussed the Paige Bueckers vs Caitlin Clark comparisons and debate. Pickman revealed both of their rookie stats in an interesting hypothetical game. “This is through their first twelve games as a pro, okay? Player A, 17.7 points, 5.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 45.7% from the field… Player B, 16.8 points, 6.3 assists, 5.6 turnvoers, 5.3 rebounds, and 37.3% from the field.”
However, there was a peculiarity in Player B’s stats that stood out, and prompted different answers from the two co-hosts. Zena Keita decided that Player B was Paige Bueckers, but Merchant stepped in quickly with the correct answer. “Player B has the 5.6 turnovers, that has to be Caitlin Clark.” And right she was!
Paige Bueckers has only averaged 2.4 turnovers per game so far in her career, while Clark’s 5.6 turnovers, as per Pickman, were “a total outlier”. But aside from their turnover rates, both players were almost identical in terms of statistics. Bueckers is averaging 17.7 points through her first twelve games, while Clark stood tall at 16.8 points as well.
Pickman explained why exactly he brought out this hypothetical. “The assist number for Paige Bueckers is 5.8, and the assist number for Caitlin Clark is 6.3. I basically throw it all out to say their numbers through 12 games are very very similar.” It makes sense, because the narratives aren’t favoring Bueckers as much as her performance deserves! The Dallas Wings rookie has been hooping her heart out recently, and her transition to the pros might even be smoother than CC’s.
But why don’t the pundits talk about this? Well, to put it simply, the ‘Caitlin Clark effect’ has been too big to question! CC has drawn unprecedented viewership through her star power alone. For example, the 2024 NCAA final had over 18 million fans tuning in, as compared to Paige Bueckers’ most recent victory, which only drew 8.5 million. No one doubts Bueckers’ skills, but how do you compete with someone like Caitlin Clark?
Although, the Dallas Wings rookie has not let anything stop her from doing what she does best–competing! As we can see, her stats have been mind-blowing, but more than that? She has advocated against things that aren’t right. Paige Bueckers has always acknowledged and been outspoken about her white privilege, but recently? She bowed her head towards Clark and the difficulties that she faces on a day-to-day basis. So what exactly did the rook have to say? Let’s find out!
Paige Bueckers calls out the WNBA community for ‘unfair’ criticism towards Caitlin Clark
There’s no doubt that Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark will be linked for the rest of their careers. After all, their careers ran in parallel! The UConn guard wowed the basketball world by performing a clean sweep of the POTY awards as a freshman, but Clark? She managed to create a collegiate legacy that will never be topped. Two back-to-back Final Four victories with Iowa, and the DI scoring title, do hold some weight, after all.
However, when Bueckers got injured, all the attention was channeled towards Caitlin Clark. The Indiana Fever star has seen it all–the highs and the lows of basketball and stardom. Every single mistake of hers was amplified, and every victory had an asterisk next to it. The basketball world’s treatment of Clark has prompted her fellow star guard to speak up!
Jul 20, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) against USA Women’s National Team player Kelsey Plum (5) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Paige Bueckers, in a recent presser, talked about the expectatiosn and pressure that the Indiana Fever star deals with on a nightly basis. “I would just say [Clark] handles it with grace, and the pressure that she’s put on every single night to perform at the level that she does, it’s inhumane, really, to expect people to be perfect and to not have off games or off nights. If she doesn’t go 8 for 10 from three, people are questioning things. It’s unfair to have to deal with that.” The standard is set too high, and there have definitely been consequences for it! For example, Clark’s recent shooting slump is being dissected under a microscope, and she has to answer for it every night!
Sadly, because of Clark’s groin injury, we will not be seeing the two college basketball phenoms compete tonight. We can’t wait to see the Bueckers vs Clark matchup at the highest stage possible, because the possibilities are simply endless! It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. What do you think? Will Caitlin Clark dominate this matchup? Or will Paige Bueckers show her why exactly she won POTY as a rookie? Only time will tell!
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