Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark is widely considered the most prolific women’s basketball player of all time. But apparently, legendary UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma does not necessarily share that opinion.
Following the UConn Huskies’ most recent win over the Syracuse Orange to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16, Geno Auriemma claimed that UConn star Paige Bueckers – not Caitlin Clark – is the best player in the country.
“We have the best player in America,” Auriemma said according to SNY. “Just saying that because the numbers, in this world of analytics, say that she is. And the whole stat sheet says that she is. And everybody that watched knows it.”
"We have the best player in America. Just saying that because the numbers, in this world of analytics, say that she is. And the stat sheet says that she is. And everybody that watched knows it"
– Geno Auriemma on Paige Bueckers pic.twitter.com/xEoiXuEBQk
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) March 26, 2024
While Bueckers was indeed masterful in the team’s win over Syracuse this weekend, putting up 32 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and four steals to help lead her team to the Sweet 16, it’s not clear what “analytics” or “numbers” Auriemma is referring to.
Clark has more points, assists, and rebounds than Bueckers. And even when you get into some of the deeper analytics, Clark also leads the nation in wins shares with 11.8 and has a higher player efficiency rating than Bueckers.
Auriemma is certainly entitled to his opinion, but it’s not necessarily correct to say that numbers and analytics back it up.
[SNY]
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