Be it men’s, women’s, or college basketball, Caitlin Clark has become the point of focus everywhere. Her games have even crossed the viewership numbers of NBA games from the past season. A few months ago, however, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma stirred the pot with a bold statement, claiming that one of Clark’s rivals, is the “best player in America”. It’s not Angel Reese. Despite the drama that followed, Auriemma didn’t back down from his remarks. It turns out he isn’t the only one who shares that opinion. Ex-NBA player Jeff Teague is also of the same belief.

While discussing the Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark Rookie of the Year debate, Teague suggested that a new rivalry could be brewing, with 2021 USBWA Player of the Year Paige Bueckers set to enter the WNBA spotlight next. “Next year, there ain’t no more Rookie of the Year. What y’all battling for? Y’all already made All-Star teams and sh*t…And then it’s going to be another white girl, Paige Bueckers, Paige gonna come,” Teague said on the Club 520 podcast.

Teague went even further, boldly claiming that Bueckers is a better player than Clark. The 36-year-old compared Clark to Jimmer Fredette in college, saying she’s “just popular,” and the only difference is that she was able to carry on the momentum in the W, which drew some disagreements from his co-hosts. Jeff Teague added, “And they going to start gassing her because she better than them. She better than Caitlin…Yeah, she better than her. She just, Caitlin was just popular.”

He mentioned that Bueckers has a more well-rounded game. Both players entered college basketball as highly-hyped recruits and unsurprisingly delivered on their promise. Bueckers earned titles like Naismith National Player of the Year, while Clark shared the WBCA National Freshman of the Year award with her.

That was during the 2020-2021 season. Since then, Clark has stacked up accolades, including the Naismith Award, Wade Trophy, and AP National Player of the Year. But what happened to Bueckers?

Paige Bueckers had more hype than Caitlin Clark initially

Had there been no injury issues, Bueckers would have had the same hype and popularity as Clark, if not more. However, things went south when she sustained a knee injury during her sophomore season. Paige still managed to return just in time to lead her team to the Final Four.

Unfortunately, Bueckers suffered another knee injury that caused her to miss the entire 2022-2023 season. The two have only faced each other twice on the court, and both matchups garnered significant fan interest and attendance. Their first encounter was during their freshman year in the Sweet 16, where Bueckers and the Huskies defeated Iowa 92-72.

The two met again this year in the Final Four. This time UConn came close to winning, but ultimately, Clark’s Hawkeyes won the game. When WNBA star Lexie Brown was asked who the better player was, she had a similar opinion to that of Jeff Teague. “I think Paige is more complete.” It’s clear what Caitlin Clark has done and continues to do for women’s basketball and Paige too might have a similar impact.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.