Paige Bueckers shared her candid observations about Caitlin Clark’s increasing stardom. Having played with the Indiana Fever in multiple college and international basketball competitions, Bueckers, 23, is well-versed in the team’s on-court abilities.
Clark, 22, has become as one of the most well-liked sportsmen in the US and just signed an incredible £21.5 million (or $28 million) contract with Nike. Bueckers has also been making waves in women’s basketball, albeit not quite to the same e
Because of her position, her qualities, and her intimidating six-foot height, she is generally regarded as Clark’s closest opponent. Although there is an attempt by fans and the US sports media to create a competition between the two stars, Bueckers just has respect and affection for Clark.
In a recent interview, Bueckers said: “We’ve known each other for a very long time. We’ve been competing against and with each other for a very long time…I mean Caitlin’s a competitor, she’s a winner. She’s a great basketball player, everybody sees it.
She does so much for the game. And she’s the best scorer college basketball has ever seen. But I think she’s so much more than a scorer. I think the best thing about her is her competitive spirit and her fire, her passion, her joy for the game. Everybody loves watching it.
“She’s just a competitor. She wants to win. She has just intangibles of the game. She knows how to play, a great IQ. I think the biggest thing about her is she competes and she’s just a winner. She wants to win at all costs.”
While Clark boasts two Naismith Player of the Year titles, Bueckers made history as the first freshman to clinch the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year, and USBWA Player of the Year in 2021.
Next year will see Buecker be drafted to the WNBA, where she’ll go head-to-head with Clark. The WNBA Draft in April 2025 will reveal which team she’ll join.
When asked about Bueckers, Clark has previously said: “I think the coolest thing about Paige is how resilient she is. Obviously, she’s been kind of dealt a tough hand and only has positive things to say about her teammates. And the way she carries herself on and off the court and the way she works hard, none of that has changed.
“Since we first met in middle school, she has consistently worked in the same manner, shown leadership qualities, and had that fire within her. After dealing this team a rough hand as a program, she has taken them back to the Final Four, and for that, I genuinely couldn’t be more happy for her and the year she’s had.
“She seems like fun to watch because of how smooth her game is. She walks around so naturally and with such ease. She finds it simple, but since I’ve known her, that has always been her game. She works incredibly hard at what she does in addition to having a natural talent, which is a terrific combination for success.”
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