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The two biggest stars in all of college basketball, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and UConn’s Paige Bueckers, are set to meet in the Final Four Friday night in Cleveland, Ohio. It is possibly the most anticipated women’s college basketball game ever.
The two have seemingly been on a collision course their whole life for this moment. They were ranked as the top two guards in the class of 2020, and have been compared ever since.
Both Bueckers and Clark were named All-Americans as true freshmen back in 2021. But, it was Paige Bueckers that was stealing all the headlines at the time.
The Minnesota native was named National Player of the Year by multiple outlets after a stellar freshman campaign that saw her take a not-very-good UConn team all the way to the national championship game. Meanwhile, Clark put up incredible numbers, averaging nearly 27 points a game as a freshman.
While Bueckers battled injuries for much of the next two years, it was Caitlin Clark who saw her fame rise to become arguably the most recognizable women’s athlete in America. Her incredible performance in last year’s Final Four upset win over South Carolina solidified her into the American zeitgeist.
Caitlin Clark’s fame has continued to grow this year, while Bueckers has carried a team depleted with injuries back to the Final Four. She’s regained her place as arguably the game’s elite player, with her and Clark logically the best two players in the country.
The two have met once previously, with UConn and Bueckers topping Clark and Iowa in the Sweet Sixteen back in 2021, and Clark lost to a UConn squad last year that was without Bueckers.
Naturally, these two players are the storyline heading into Friday night’s matchup. But, there’s a lot of mutual respect there, as shown by Caitlin Clark’s comments about her fellow point guard.
"The coolest thing about Paige is how resilient she is. Since I've known her since she was in middle school, she's always had that fire, she's always been a great leader…I couldn't be happier for her and the year that she's had."
Caitlin Clark on Paige Bueckers: pic.twitter.com/PFnYQMEFIC
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) April 4, 2024
This week, it came to light that UConn elected not to recruit Caitlin Clark after getting a commitment from Bueckers. Why legendary head coach Geno Auriemma decided to not try to get both players for a backcourt only rivaled by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi is beyond me.
I think I speak for everyone when I say I’m pumped up to watch these two do battle on Friday night!