Comparing UConn Legend Paige Bueckers to Iowa’s Caitlin Clark

The UConn Huskies women’s basketball team will face off against the Iowa Hawkeyes on December 20 at Barclays Center in New York. Both teams have a rich history, featuring two of the biggest names in women’s basketball in recent times: Caitling Clark and Paige Bueckers. 

While both superstars have left for the WNBA, their college legacy lives on. Caitlin Clark’s scoring prowess remains historically unmatched. She finished her Iowa career with 3,951 total points, the NCAA Division I record for both men and women, and a 28.42 career scoring average, the highest in Division I history. 

Her freshman season alone saw her average 26.6 points per game, leading all of NCAA Division I in scoring while ranking second in assists and three-pointers per game. In her final season (2023-24), Clark elevated to another tier entirely, averaging 31.6 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game while leading Division I in both scoring and assists. She surpassed Pete Maravich’s all-time scoring record.

Paige Bueckers, on the other hand, compiled 2,260 career points while averaging 19.9 points per game, the highest career scoring average in UConn history. Her scoring, while elite, never reached Clark’s historic levels. In her 2024-25 championship season, Bueckers averaged 19.9 points per game, scoring a career-high 40 points against Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. 

Clark established herself as perhaps the greatest shooter in women’s college basketball history. She made 548 three-pointers in her college career, the most in Division I history, shooting 40.6% from three as a freshman and maintaining elite efficiency throughout her career. 

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers’ Most Memorable Games

Clark and Bueckers’ first college meeting took place during the 2021 NCAA tournament, when UConn, the No. 1 seed, faced Iowa in the Sweet 16 held in San Antonio. UConn dominated the matchup, defeating Iowa 92-72 with Clark contributing 21 points and five assists while Bueckers nearly achieved a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. The win sent UConn to the national semifinals, though they ultimately lost to Arizona.​​

The most important clash between the two stars came in the 2024 NCAA Final Four semifinal on April 5 in Cleveland. The game lived up to its hype, with Iowa narrowly escaping with a 71-69 win in a thrilling contest. Clark delivered 21 points, seven assists, and nine rebounds on 7-of-18 shooting while adding two steals. Bueckers recorded 17 points, three assists, and four rebounds. The narrow victory sent Iowa to the championship game, where they lost to South Carolina

Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers: Honors and Accolades

Clark dominated individual accolades, earning two Naismith College Player of the Year awards (2023, 2024) and two AP Player of the Year selections. She was a unanimous First-Team All-American all three seasons she played (2022, 2023, 2024) and earned Big Ten Player of the Year three times.

Bueckers earned three unanimous First-Team All-American selections and was named the Big East Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player twice. 

While Clark took more individual honors, Bueckers got her hands on the biggest team prize. She won a national championship in her senior season (2024-25) as UConn defeated South Carolina 82-59 in an undefeated Big East season. Clark never won an NCAA championship despite reaching two championship games against LSU and South Carolina.

Caitlin Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and currently plays for the Indiana Fever, while Paige Bueckers was picked at No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

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