Caitlin Clark vs Chennedy Carter: Comparing NCAA Stats of WNBA’s Newest Rivals

“I ain’t answering no Caitlin Clark questions,” were Chennedy Carter’s words in the postgame press conference when a reporter asked her the reason for her actions in yesterday’s 71-70 Indiana Fever winner over the Chicago Sky. In the late third quarter, Carter made a bucket and knocked down Clark, blindsided. Before this happened, the two guards had a back-and-forth competition for possessions as expected in a basketball game. However, the foul during inbounding has sparked a conversation.

Speaking of the instance, Clark opined after the game, “It is what it is. I feel like I’m just at the point where you accept it and don’t retaliate… don’t let it get in your head and know it’s coming. I think at this point, I know I’m gonna take a couple hard shots a game, and that’s what it is.” Clark’s prominence in the league has been a rough patch since her debut, however she has been performing really well from an individual standpoint. On the other hand, Chennedy is a 4th-year player in the league and managed to outperform the rookie today. While the speculations of a rivalry surface, here’s a comparison of their college stats.

The decorated career of Caitlin Clark at Iowa

Caitlin Clark is the name that will echo alongside Iowa Hawkeyes for the years to come. The indelible mark she left on the program is a lifetime accomplishment. Between 2020 and 2024, Clark’s journey went from playing before a limited audience due to the COVID-19 restrictions to receiving a standing ovation when Iowa’s Director of Athletics, Beth Goetz announced that Clark’s No. 22 jersey would be retired.

“It’s super incredible, something I’m very thankful for. There’s been a lot of good 22s who have come before me and played for this program, whether it was Kathleen Doyle or Sam Logic. That number holds a lot of weight, far beyond me. I’m really grateful, and it will be a special day when it happens,” said Clark at the time her Iowa jersey was retired early in April this year.

In her 4 years at Iowa, Clark amassed 3951 points, becoming the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer. She made 1293 of 2798 field goals and 548 of 1452 3-pointers, surpassing Taylor Robertson by 2%. Moreover, she made 817 of 952 free throws and 990 rebounds alongside 1144 assists, 639 turnovers, 74 blocks, and 210 steals. In the process, she has come to be a leader in 3-point fgs, career assists, and free throws made among others.

With her college basketball career, Clark has thus, surpassed athletes like Kelsey Plum, Lynette Woodard, Pete Maravich, and Stephen Curry, to name a few, in various aspects. The 22-year-old also represented the United States on several occasions including the 2017 FIBA Americas U-16 Championship, and the 2019 and 2021 FIBA U-19 World Cup and won gold in all three.

Moving on, let’s take a look at Carter’s stats in college.

Chennedy Carter’s stats at Texas A&M

The 4th overall draft pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, Chennedy Carter’s career at Texas A&M has been enshrined with All-American honors in the first three years of her career. Moreover, Carter became the first player in the program’s history to be selected to the All-SEC First Team as a freshman, sophomore, and junior.

At the program, Carter reached the career top 10 spots in points with 1983 (2nd), 87 10+ point games (3rd), 62 20+ point games (1st), 13 30+ point games (1st), 732 field goals made (3rd) out of 1698 field goals attempted (3rd) 148 3-pointers (6th), and 371 free throws (3rd).

Besides Texas, Carter also represented the United States on the international stage at the 2019 Pan-American Games and the 2017 FIBA U-19 World Cup, winning silver in both. Similarly, she was in the national team of the 2016 FIBA Americas U-18 Championship and won a gold for the country.

As a result, both Caitlin Clark and Chennedy Carter have had an illustrious career during their time in college, making impactful strides in uplifting their game. However, there is a big difference between the two when it comes to neutrally handling both success and defeat. And what better explanation for this approach can be than Clark’s reflection on the incident, saying, “I’m trying not to let it bother me, and just stay in the game and stay in what’s important. Because usually, it’s the second person that gets caught if you retaliate or something. I’m just trying to stay in the game and focus on my team and focus on what’s important.”

Hence, there is a lot left to play for the athletes this season, with the Commissioner’s Cup rolled in yesterday and the Summer Olympic break coming up. So, Stay Tuned!