Today’s NCAA Sweet 16 matchup between No. 1 UConn and No. 5 Iowa in San Antonio features an intriguing matchup between two of the most dynamic freshmen in the nation, UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
UConn’s Bueckers, Iowa’s Clark make Sweet 16 a matchup of star freshmen
— There's rarely a time the subject of UConn freshman Paige Bueckers comes up that there's not an ensuing discussion about her wizardry when it comes to passing a basketball.
"I mean Paige has incredible court vision, so she's able to get those passes there," UConn junior Olivia Nelson-Ododa was saying this week. "First of all see them, second of all get them there timely and when it's wide open. Give her a lot of credit, especially finding the open person."
The same goes for Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark.
"She can thread a needle. Sometimes (her teammates) didn't realize that ball was coming in there," Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said.
Clark leads the nation with 26.8 points per game. Bueckers leads UConn, the topranked team in the nation with 19.9. Clark averages 7.2 assists per game, Bueckers 6.0. Clark has 209 overall assists, Bueckers 156. Bueckers is third in the nation with a 3-point field goal percentage of .467.
Clark hails from West Des Moines, Iowa. Bueckers is from Hopkins, Minnesota, less than four hours away.
The two consider themselves friends, having faced off in AAU competition throughout high school and having been USA Basketball teammates.
And so while both will tell you that today's NCAA tournament Sweet 16 matchup between top-seeded UConn (26-1) and No. 5 Iowa (20-9) at the Alamodome (1 p.m., Ch. 8) isn't Caitlin vs. Paige, it's an intriguing matchup nonetheless for two dynamic players in just their first season.
"I don't. I don't," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said, asked if he could recall a situation where two freshmen have made such a splash. "It's been a while since you have two kids that have had this kind of an impact, both on their teams and on the game itself nationally. To have one is kind of cool. To have two ..."
Auriemma compared it to having a heavyweight NFL game involving star quarterbacks on each team.
"They say it's (Tom) Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers and it couldn't be further from the truth," Auriemma said. "It's two really young kids, really good players that do a lot for their teams. But like it always is in these games, they're just a part of it. I think they would tell you, 'Hey, we appreciate the attention but I think it's better if it's left to Iowa vs. UConn.'"
Most recently, Bueckers and Clark played for the 2019 USA U19 World
Cup Team that won the gold medal in Bangkok, Thailand, beating Australia. They also teamed together to help the U.S. win the gold medal at the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
"That's awesome for both of us to be on the big stage," Bueckers said headed into the Sweet 16. "It will be a great matchup and I'm excited to play against her. I mean, we talk, we root for each other. Obviously, Iowa's been playing really good in the Big Ten tournament and leading into the NCAA tournament. I always watch basketball whenever I can, so I've had eyes on her and their program.
"I've known Caitlin since really young middle school ages and she's been doing this her whole life . ... I mean, yeah, the stuff she does is pretty amazing."
Bueckers, who is 5-foot-11, was the No. 1 recruit in the high school Class of 2020. Clark, 6-feet, was the No. 4 prospect and the second-ranked guard according to ESPN. Both were high school All-Americans.
Both are comfortable speaking to the media.
Bueckers is the first UConn player to be named Big East Player of the Year, Big East Freshman of the Year and Big East tournament Most Outstanding Player in the same season. She was also the first player in the storied history of the UConn program to score 30-or-more points in three straight games.
She set the Huskies' single-game record for assists with 14 on Feb. 27 at Butler. Bueckers was named an Associated Press first team All-American.
Clark was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a second team AP All-American.
Then, with the whole women's basketball world at attention on Tuesday, Clark scored 35 points to set a school record for most points in an NCAA tournament game, sparking an 86-72 victory over fourth-seeded Kentucky. She had 24 points in the first half, outscoring Kentucky (22) at halftime, and had six 3-point field goals.
Clark dismisses the notion that Saturday's game against Bueckers will decide who is the better of the two players, who will be the National Freshman of the Year or anything other than which team will advance to the Elite Eight against either No. 2 Baylor or No. 6 Michigan.
"I don't think me and Paige really care who wins Freshman of the Year," Clark said. "I think there's so many talented freshmen; obviously it spans over a whole season and whatnot. Obviously we both had great respective seasons. I think that's just so great for the women's game.
"I think more and more people are noticing. More and more people are watching. I think a lot of people will tune in to watch this game and that's exactly what you want for women's basketball. There can be multiple superstars, there can be multiple good players; it doesn't have to be one endall, be-all.
"... Going up against (Bueckers is) obviously a great opportunity, obviously a good friend of mine, tremendous player, but we would both say we're not going to win it alone."