Are you all set for the new women’s college basketball drama? Because Chuck definitely is! He’s closely following the NCAA WBB scene and already has his favorites selected, pitting them against the best in the sport. That’s right, Charles Barkley has shared his take on the heated debate on 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark vs. the player making the loudest noise in women’s basketball right now, JuJu Watkins.

We can’t deny the massive support and excitement Clark has generated since she entered the realm. But things have changed. The college star is now in the WNBA, facing new challenges, while the doors are wide open for USC star JuJu Watkins. The debate, however, is whether the USC Trojans star is better than the ‘Iowa sensation’ or vice versa.

Amid this heated debate, Chuck weighed in with his opinion. He claimed that the 2023 Gatorade National Player of the Year, Watkins, is better than the 2x AP Player of the Year, Clark. 

The Philadelphia 76ers icon said, “I tell all them bitter, angry girls in the WNBA who are upset about Caitlin Clark to move over more because JuJu is special. Number one, I want to give a shout-out to Caitlin for what she’s done for women’s basketball over the last three years. It’s been incredible, and I wish those women would embrace it, but that girl JuJu is the real deal.”

“Caitlin is a supernova and JuJu probably’s a better player. So those two women going to be running the WNBA for the next 10, 12, 14, 15, 20 years, basically,” the Phoenix Suns legend said.

But is she? There are several questions that have fans debating over. Both players hold an impressive number of records, and the only difference may be their playing styles.

Caitlin Clark vs. JuJu Watkins stats highlights

Averaging 26.6 points and 7.1 assists per game in her freshman year, Clark made 40.6% of her three-point attempts while playing 30 games. She scored a total of 799 points and 214 assists in her first season. Meanwhile, Watkins surpassed Clark, scoring 920 points in 30 games, setting a record with her 27-point average. Interestingly, it is second for the 2023-24 season, right after the Indiana Fever star who averaged 31.6 ppg in her final year in Iowa.

Watkins would not only have surpassed O’Neal but also set a new record far ahead of Clark. That speaks volumes. While social media is busy comparing the two, Clark has shown nothing but love and support for Watkins.

 USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb who met Clark shared what the ROTY winner said about Watkins. “She (Clark) was like, ‘I had this attention for a year and a half, two years. She said to JuJu, ‘You’re going to have it for the next three,” she said to The Orange County Register. As Gottlieb shared, Clark has also shared her contact number with the coach and offered help to deal with the pressure.

“I’m certainly going to utilize that as a resource, if she’s this willing, I think that’s just a neat thing. And I do think it’s really cool on her part to be willing to pay it forward, so to speak, and help someone else,” the coach further added.

It’s safe to say Clark passed the torch into the right hands. If we look at the stats, Watkins has the potential to surpass Clark. Her consistent scoring ability is already turning heads. Players like Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, and Cheryl Miller all hail from USC and made their fans proud, Watkins could be next. However, she has three more years to go, and the competition is only getting stronger. While the Trojan herself has denied being the next one in line, only time will tell how her NCAA career shapes up.

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