But, you know, if it was a local pick-up game and I was picking players, I think I would pick Bueckers and Juju before Clark. Clark gets lazy, and it shows. And like someone else said, her defense is really lacking.
Having said that, yeah she failed to take care of the ball when she had it, BUT had some of her teammates been better able to finish close to the basket, the game would have been different. She is a wicked good passer when she wants to be.
Just sayin'. I like Bueckers and Juju better, I think they're better all-around players. If otoh I just wanted someone to shoot 3's, then it's Clark.
Good point about her teammates failing to convert some shots near the basket after Clark had set them up.
Clark vs Bueckers is a good debate. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton did a thorough analysis on it, and he concluded that Bueckers is a more complete player but Clark has more value.
Curious why you think JuJu is better. I can see liking Bueckers better, but I’m not seeing the case for JuJu. Her shooting percentages are low, and she’s not nearly as good a playmaker as Clark.
Bueckers had a way stronger cast of characters. Clark. elevated everyone around her to a far higher degree.
I'll say this about her: she caused me to watch 3 women's games this week, so that was something. Last Monday she was great, not just the 41 points but also really good passing and some rebounds. She was not quite as good against CT and definitely not today (at least, after the 1st quarter). She turns the ball over too much, perhaps a little over-confident or perhaps not used to really good defense.
She's been great for the sport but I'm skeptical she'll be a great pro -- too many others who will be stronger/faster/taller.
I'm sure Clark plays the D Bluder asks her to play. Remember, she's running the show on offense and is non-stop. She has to have a bit of a breather sometime.
Iowa wasn't going to beat all that height again today, especially with the way SC we hitting perimeter shots. But I still firmly believe losing Molly Davis greatly affected them. And obviously everyone has injuries but when your depth isn't great it affects you more. You think UConn could contend as injured as they were if they weren't absolutely stacked?
I have loved watching the women's games. The men's games, if they had any dramatic potential, have been destroyed by endless commercials. Any excitement has ended with repeated five minute ad interruptions.
I'll say this about her: she caused me to watch 3 women's games this week, so that was something. Last Monday she was great, not just the 41 points but also really good passing and some rebounds. She was not quite as good against CT and definitely not today (at least, after the 1st quarter). She turns the ball over too much, perhaps a little over-confident or perhaps not used to really good defense.
She's been great for the sport but I'm skeptical she'll be a great pro -- too many others who will be stronger/faster/taller.
If you watched the coverage, WVU, UConn, and SC learned how to defend her, and she was not quite as effective in those games. And SC just had an athletic/height advantage across the board today. Iowa was very lucky to win against them last year, and they were also lucky to beat LSU the other night. Clark will be very good as a pro, but not at the level she was in college. For us old-timers I think a Caitlin Clark - Pistol Pete analogy might be apt. He was a great college player, and very good pro player (5 time all-star in a 10 year career).
Good point about her teammates failing to convert some shots near the basket after Clark had set them up.
Clark vs Bueckers is a good debate. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton did a thorough analysis on it, and he concluded that Bueckers is a more complete player but Clark has more value.
Curious why you think JuJu is better. I can see liking Bueckers better, but I’m not seeing the case for JuJu. Her shooting percentages are low, and she’s not nearly as good a playmaker as Clark.
Bueckers had a way stronger cast of characters. Clark. elevated everyone around her to a far higher degree.
But, you know, if it was a local pick-up game and I was picking players, I think I would pick Bueckers and Juju before Clark. Clark gets lazy, and it shows. And like someone else said, her defense is really lacking.
Having said that, yeah she failed to take care of the ball when she had it, BUT had some of her teammates been better able to finish close to the basket, the game would have been different. She is a wicked good passer when she wants to be.
Just sayin'. I like Bueckers and Juju better, I think they're better all-around players. If otoh I just wanted someone to shoot 3's, then it's Clark.
Agreed. At least twice after she turned the ball over she just gave up when the opposing player still didn’t have full control of the ball she had a chance to get it back. One of those times a teammate hustled over from 20 ft away and forced the jump ball. CC was standing right there 2 feet away. Another time she missed a shot and Cardoso grabbed the rebound. She runs right by Cardoso while jawing at the ref when she could’ve grabbed the ball away from Cardoso as Cardoso wasn’t paying full attention. Her first instinct is still to complain or look up in bewilderment.
I'll say this about her: she caused me to watch 3 women's games this week, so that was something. Last Monday she was great, not just the 41 points but also really good passing and some rebounds. She was not quite as good against CT and definitely not today (at least, after the 1st quarter). She turns the ball over too much, perhaps a little over-confident or perhaps not used to really good defense.
She's been great for the sport but I'm skeptical she'll be a great pro -- too many others who will be stronger/faster/taller.
There's a learning curve for just about every rookie. Taurasi pointed that out the other night when she stated Clark's going to have a rude awakening next year. Clark will do well but not immediately.
I'll say this about her: she caused me to watch 3 women's games this week, so that was something. Last Monday she was great, not just the 41 points but also really good passing and some rebounds. She was not quite as good against CT and definitely not today (at least, after the 1st quarter). She turns the ball over too much, perhaps a little over-confident or perhaps not used to really good defense.
She's been great for the sport but I'm skeptical she'll be a great pro -- too many others who will be stronger/faster/taller.
There's a learning curve for just about every rookie. Taurasi pointed that out the other night when she stated Clark's going to have a rude awakening next year. Clark will do well but not immediately.
Plum, whose record Clark broke averaged 8 pts a game her rookie year and didn't start. It took her 6 years before she was able to average 20 pts. I believe Clark is taller and is certainly a better passer.
One of her teammates missed an open layup in the 3rd quarter with Iowa down by 4 or 5 points. In the next two posessions South Carolina made 2 three pointers.
Caitlin Clark is going to be top 5 in WNBA, like Luka Doncic. (I think hes her NBA comparison), but at that level, in order to win chips , she's going to need another superstar, probably at PF/C positions
What would a “complete” player have to do, like lead the NCAA in assists too? As in, on top of being the all time scorer?
A complete player wins when it counts. She’s never won the big one. Not in high school. Not in college.
Of course, but I mean c'mon she just took her team to two consecutive finals. Do you know how hard that is to do in the NCAA tournament? Here's a list of some pretty good basketball players that did not win an NCAA title - Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Steph Curry, Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Dwayne Wade, Shaq.
That's a little unfair to be raggin on Caitlin Clark just because she didn't "win the big one", right after successfully going through LSU and UCONN and losing to an absolute juggernaut.
She’s certainly not perfect, but she led Iowa to the national championship game two years in a row. They never made it that far in the tournament before she got there.
Here’s what South Carolina coach Dawn Staley had to say after the game: "I wanna personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport, she carried a heavy load for our sport, and it’s not gonna stop on the collegiate tour. When she's the number 1 pick in the WNBA draft, she's gonna lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark, if you're out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game.”
It’s insane to call her one of the GOATs when basically every NBA, NCAA, and probably 2,000 HS players are better than her every year. She is maybe in the top 150,000 basketball players of all time, but that’s it.
its like calling Parker Valby “one of the GOATs” when she would get lapped by 100s of NCAA guys in a 5K.
Making the argument that she’s not the GOAT because there are better men is not clever. Everyone knows there are better men. if you’re trying to make a point about transgenders in sports (not sure it you are), just make it.
Caitlin Clark is going to be top 5 in WNBA, like Luka Doncic. (I think hes her NBA comparison), but at that level, in order to win chips , she's going to need another superstar, probably at PF/C positions
I came to the site tonight looking for a "Caitlin Clark goes home DEVASTATED AND OVERRATED!" LRC, you disappoint me.
Every useless, breathless sports news-reader girl making up fake metrics that extol the greatness of Caitlin MF Clark. Totally media-generated phenomenon, trying to equate women's basketball with men's, so that the argument for equal pay can be propagandized. Good luck with that. Nobody, but nobody, is buying it.
Yeah, I've never seen her play. Wouldn't watch if you paid me. But I'm sure she's overrated.
And all the assessments of her being a one-dimensional player make her a very natural comparison to Doncic-- elite-skilled scorer, non-defender, non-stop complainer. Voila, Luka Doncic.
Anyway, in my neighborhood, we like our heroes with championship rings. You wanna be a GOAT, you better put a ring on it.
Bueckers had a way stronger cast of characters. Clark. elevated everyone around her to a far higher degree.
This is categorically FALSE. Clark didn't even lead her team in scoring against UConn.
Yes the UConn girls were higher ranked in high school but that doesn't mean anything unless they perform at a high level in college. Or when comparing an experienced senior to a freshman.
Edwards is an All-American for UConn but she also BLEW THE GAME with a dumb offensive foul in the last 5 seconds. Stuelke of Iowa SCHOOLED Edwards in the paint.
Iowa's players would have much better stats if Clark didn't shoot 25-30 times per game.
One of her teammates missed an open layup in the 3rd quarter with Iowa down by 4 or 5 points. In the next two posessions South Carolina made 2 three pointers.
Caitlin Clark is going to be top 5 in WNBA, like Luka Doncic. (I think hes her NBA comparison), but at that level, in order to win chips , she's going to need another superstar, probably at PF/C positions
Clark missed 18 shots today. Clark had more missed shots than all of Iowa's other 4 starters COMBINED.
She also had some critical turnovers, like at the end of the 1st half leading to an easy layup.
She should skip the WNBA. As others have said, she's not any good. Ice Cube confirmed he offered her a guaranteed 5 million to play 8 games in his 3 on 3 league. The level of vitriol leveled at this talented white girl is beyond racist. Maybe it's jealousy that's she gets so much attention. The WNBA should be welcoming her with open arms considering she is a marketing phenom that would actually put the league on the map. Instead, they are warning her that she is in for a rude awakening. I hope she blows them off.
Bueckers had a way stronger cast of characters. Clark. elevated everyone around her to a far higher degree.
This is categorically FALSE. Clark didn't even lead her team in scoring against UConn.
Yes the UConn girls were higher ranked in high school but that doesn't mean anything unless they perform at a high level in college. Or when comparing an experienced senior to a freshman.
Edwards is an All-American for UConn but she also BLEW THE GAME with a dumb offensive foul in the last 5 seconds. Stuelke of Iowa SCHOOLED Edwards in the paint.
Iowa's players would have much better stats if Clark didn't shoot 25-30 times per game.
Would Iowa have done better than back to back championship appearances without Caitlin Clark on the team?
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