One of college basketball’s biggest stars has high praise for Caitlin Clark’s first season as a pro.
UConn guard Paige Bueckers He told reporters On Friday, he spoke about Clark’s early tenure with the WNBA and praised her ability to generate exposure.
“Kaitlyn brings a lot of new perspectives to the game, and we appreciate that,” Bueckers said. “When people turn on the TV to watch her play, it creates even more fans for the game.”
Bueckers said not only Clark but the entire 2024 recruiting class, which includes Angel Reese, is “progressing extremely well.”
“I think it’s just a higher level of basketball,” Bueckers said. “I think there’s a lot of new eyes watching and they’re impressed with the talent level and the physicality. That’s just the way the league is.”
In his first season with the Indiana Fever, Clark is averaging 16.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 34.6 percent from three-point range.
The former Iowa standout is an All-Star candidate and is considered the front-runner for Rookie of the Year.
Bueckers herself was part of the 2020 class along with Clark, Reese, Cameron Brink and Camila Cardozo, and the Huskies guard was the top overall player graduating from high school that season.
The Hopkins, Minnesota native had a phenomenal season after returning from a torn ACL, averaging 21.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and earning first-team All-American honors.
Bueckers and Clark faced off in the 2024 Final Four, when Iowa narrowly defeated UConn, 71-69.
The matchup between the sports giants drew 14.4 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time.
Clark’s star power has skyrocketed in the WNBA, with her Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky becoming the most-watched WNBA matchup since 2001.
In terms of college rankings, UConn is viewed as one of the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament in 2025 with Bueckers returning for his final year.
The potential top pick in the 2025 draft should add to an exciting WNBA season led by a standout rookie like Clark.
