Paige Bueckers Is (and Always Has Been) Better Than Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark is one of the most exciting athletes on the face of the planet right now and undeniably one of the faces of the WNBA at this point in her career. Her long-range shooting ability has captivated the attention of women’s basketball fans, young and old, since her time in Iowa. Regardless of how you feel about Caitlin’s game or her fans, there is no denying those facts.

However, Paige Bueckers is, and always has been, the better basketball player, and it’s only a matter of time before the vast majority of women’s basketball fans come to this conclusion.

From High School to College

The Class of 2020 is arguably the most talented women’s basketball high school class ever.

Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Caitlin Clark, and Kamilla Cardoso headlined a STACKED recruiting class that also included talented players such as Diamond Johnson, Hailey Van Lith, Aaliyah Edwards, and Te-Hina Paopao.

Entering college, Bueckers led the charge for this new wave of women’s basketball talent. She was heavily regarded as one of the most complete guard prospects the game had ever seen, and rightfully so. She was named Minnesota’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018, 2019, and 2020, and won the National Player of the Year award in 2020.

Clark, the No. 4 recruit in this class, was just as dominant in Iowa, having been named Iowa’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. Despite their equal state-level dominance, there was still undeniable separation between these two guards. Paige entered college with more attention, more expectations, and more polish than Caitlin.

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The Next Husky Legend

Paige’s freshman year is one of the greatest in college basketball history. Bueckers averaged 20 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 46.4% from deep and 86.9% from the charity stripe, leading UConn in all five statistical categories.

UConn made it to the Final Four that season, and Bueckers became the first freshman ever to win the Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year award. Meanwhile, at Iowa, Caitlin led the country in scoring, but couldn’t make it past the Sweet 16 that season. Not only did Paige live up to the expectations that came with her legendary high school career in Minnesota, she proved that she was worth every bit of the hype.

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Injuries Sideline Paige, Caitlin Breaks Records

After a dominant freshman season that fell two wins shy of a National Championship, fans could hardly wait to see what Bueckers would do next at UConn. It was only a matter of time before she won her first championship in college, they thought, and who knew how many more would follow.

Unfortunately, the reality of what came next was very different from the fantasies.

In 2021, Paige suffered a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear. In 2022, Paige suffered a torn ACL. The hopes of what many expected to be another legendary career from a UConn Husky seemed to go up in smoke. While Paige was on the sidelines fighting to return to the game she loved, Caitlin was breaking records left and right, becoming a household name in the process.

In 2022 and 2023, Clark took the world of women’s basketball by storm. She set Iowa’s single-game assists record (18), became the fastest Big Ten player to reach 1K points (40 games), recorded the first triple-double in a Big Ten final, scored the most points in a women’s Final Four game (41), and became the first D-I player to record at least 900 points and 300 assists in a single season; just to name a few of her accolades.

By the time Paige was ready to make her return to women’s basketball, Caitlin Clark hadn’t just become more popular, in the eyes of many, she was the better player.

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Who’s Better: Paige Bueckers or Caitlin Clark?

Both players have done things the world of women’s basketball has never seen. Each were the first overall picks in their respective WNBA Drafts, and are currently the faces of their respective WNBA franchises. The impacts that both players have had on the game of women’s basketball have done wonders for the growth of the game. The question at hand, however, is who is the better player: Paige Bueckers or Caitlin Clark?

Caitlin’s claim to fame is her long-range shooting ability. The moment she steps across half-court, she is a threat as a shooter. Not only that, but Caitlin is a great passer with great vision. Her ability to create offense and scoring opportunities not just for herself, but for her teammates as well, is unlike anything the WNBA has seen before.

Many players can be classified as system players, but Caitlin IS the system. She was the system in Iowa. She’s the system now in Indiana.

However, great as she is offensively, she has some flaws. Caitlin is not nearly as prolific of a midrange scorer or finisher as she is a three-point shooter. She is turnover prone, and a defensive liability. Some excuse these flaws because of how great she is as a shooter and creator for others. Other use these flaws are ammunition in the Paige-versus-Caitlin debate.

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While not nearly the long-range shooter that Caitlin is, Paige is a much more well-rounded player. Her court vision and passing ability is comparable to Caitlin’s, but she exceeds Caitlin as a midrange shooter and finisher.

Paige is the more efficient scorer, and has proven that she can maintain high efficiency even when her shooting volume increases. Paige is also the superior defender — arguably the most underrated facet of her game.

Paige’s game is more adaptable to the skillsets of those around her, making it easier to build a winning team around her. This isn’t to say that Caitlin isn’t a winner or doesn’t contribute to winning, of course she does. However, the fluidity and versatility of Paige’s game makes those around her better in a less obvious way than Caitlin’s game.

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Final Thoughts

The Paige-versus-Caitlin debate is finally gaining some real steam now that both players are in the WNBA.

While Caitlin’s career has made her the more popular player, Paige’s ability on the floor can’t be ignored. Paige came out of high school the better player. Due to untimely injuries, Paige’s star wasn’t able to shine as bright at Caitlin’s during their collegiate careers. Caitlin’s continued growth as a basketball player during Paige’s absence tilted the scales in her favor.

Given how great each player is, this debate will likely continue for the rest of time. However, if Paige Bueckers never gets hurt in college, this conversation never becomes a conversation. Paige Bueckers is, and always has been, better than Caitlin Clark.