Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers? Fans Make Their Choice after 32 Point Displays Earn Sweet 16 Qualification

A Magnificent Monday transpired in the women’s division of March Madness. Two of the worthy NCAA title contenders UConn and Iowa were in action in their respective round two regional matchups. While UConn had to dig deep against the No.6 Syracuse to get a win, the Hawkeyes were also tested to the limits by the West Virginia Mountaineers. Further, another common thing in both these enticing contests was the standout performances by their star point guards, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, leaving fans contemplating who the better among the two was.

A scintillating double-double by their immaculate No.5 saw UConn advance to the Sweet 16. In her 40 minutes on the court, Bueckers was able to register 32 points and 10 rebounds next to her name. In addition to this, she also dished out 6 assists and had a field goal percentage of 56%. Consequently, she now has 60 points in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament which is the most by a UConn player in 25 years (Kerry Bascom’s 62 in 1991).

At the same time, NCAA’s all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark had a memorable outing of her own. She was the top performer of her team for the night, recording 32 points and 8 rebounds along with 3 assists. In addition to this, she also went past Kelsey Plum’s single-season record of points scored with 1,113 and counting.

Read More- Caitlin Clark Breaks Another NCAA Scoring Record – Vintage Display Erupts Home Crowd in Thriller vs West Virginia, Carries Iowa to Sweet 16

However, as soon as the contest ended, fans have been indulged in determining who was a better player on social media.

Fans stay divided on Caitlin Clark vs Paige Bueckers debate

The debate on who is the best point guard in the country is still a buzz among fans. This debate ignited when the editor-in-chief for college at The Athletic, Stewart Mandel, tweeted in favor of Bueckers. His tweet read, “Great to see Paige Bueckers shining on the big stage. She was going to be Caitlin Clark before Caitlin Clark, but got derailed by injuries.” 

Following this, Brackets, Bubbles, and Bid Stealers podcast host Sam Federman commented on his slightly contrasting views on the subject. He said, “Caitlin Clark is amazing. Paige Bueckers is amazing. Why can’t we just live in a world where the two coexist? Neither of them is trying to be the other.”

After the views of these two popular names, some X users extended their support to their respective favorites. In support of Bueckers, one fan wrote, “So much hype around Caitlin Clark yall forgot about Paige Bueckers. Don’t sleep on.” 

Another X user was pro-Paige Bueckers and pointed out that Bueckers is only behind because of her earlier injury. She commented, “If Paige Bueckers wouldn’t have torn her ACL twice, she would have had a more prolific career than Caitlin Clark.” Interestingly, the two started college at the same time and were jointly awarded the Tamika Catchings Award and the WBCA Freshman of the Year at the end of their freshmen years. However, injuries ruined her next couple of years.

Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark’s supporters responded to these comparisons with some counters of their own. A fan expressed, “Lol so just because Paige Bueckers dropped 32 6 n 10 today, she’s now better than Caitlin Clark?? Bro that’s an average night for Caitlin Clark. Y’all just hating atp.” 

Another passionate fan came forth and backed his argument with some stats. He commented, “i just saw someone say that Caitlin Clark fans love stats and that they should go “stat for stat then” with Paige Bueckers but uh… Caitlin Clark averages 9-3-4 better for their CAREERS. people are such morons it takes 10 seconds to use google.”

The debate will go on for many more days to come. While Clark has declared for the WNBA Draft, Bueckers will return to UConn for the 2024-25 season. The thing that takes precedence is that they both have carried their teams to great heights. That is something that the fans from both sides expect in the upcoming days of March Madness as well.

Read More- Despite a Smooth Sail in the Opening Round Of March Madness, Caitlin Clark Shows Dissatisfaction