Big East Men's Basketball

NCAA Final Four Preview: Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers By The Numbers

NCAA Final Four Preview: Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers By The Numbers

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers will go head to head in the NCAA Women's Final Four. Here's a detailed look at the highly anticipated point guard matchup.

Apr 4, 2024
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The Women's NCAA Final Four will host No.1 Iowa vs. No.3 UConn on April 5 as two of the nation's best teams move one step closer to an NCAA Championship. This game will feature loads of talent and potential WNBA picks, but the main focus remains on Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. 

Clark has become a household name this season breaking multiple records, including the NCAA all-time scoring record, while leading Iowa to the Final Four in two straight seasons. 

Bueckers is back like she never left for UConn in her return following her ACL injury in 2022, which caused her to miss last season and resulted in a lackluster postseason run for the Huskies in 2023.

These two point guards are among the top scorers in the country and will have the opportunity to face off for the first time since their freshman year in 2021. 

Here's a detailed inside the two guards NCAA Final Four Matchup 

Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers In The NCAA Tournament

The first time these two faced off was in the 2021 NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16. The No.1 seeded Huskies defeated the Hawkeyes 92-72 before moving on to the Final Four where they loss to Baylor.

Despite Clark and Bueckers being freshman at the time, their contributions on the court played a major role for their respective programs.

Check out the stats from their first meeting in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. 

  • Bueckers: 18 Points, 9 Rebounds, 8 assist 
  • Clark: 21 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 assist

Bueckers would go on to win the 2021 National Player of the Year Award, Clark would lead the NCAA in scoring her freshman year, averaging 26 PPG.

Caitlin Clark And Paige Bueckers Stats Comparison

This season Clark leads the NCAA in scoring averaging at 32 PPG. Here's a look at her stats this season.

Clark has led the NCAA in scoring every year except 2023 when Villanova's Maddy Siegrist averaged 29 PPG.

  • Clark: 32 PPG, 7.3 Rebounds, 9 Assists
  • Clark: 46% FG, 38% 3-PT FG

This season Bueckers is ranked No.11 in NCAA  scoring averaging 22 PPG. Here's a look at her stats this season.

  • Bueckers: 22 PPG, 5.2 Rebounds, 3.9 Assist
  • Bueckers: 53% FG, 41% 3-PT FG

Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark High School Recruiting Rankings

Although these two did not face off many times at the collegiate level, they are both from the same 2020 recruiting class which also included Angel Reese, Cameron Brink and Kamilla Cardoso.

Paige Bueckers was the No.1 recruit in the 2020 Class out of Hopkins H.S. (MN).

Caitlin Clark was the No.4 recruit in the 2020 Class out of Dowling Catholic H.S. (IA).

Naismith Player Of The Year 2024

Caitlin Clark was recently named the 2024 Naismith National Player of the Year, the second straight season she has earned the honor.

She is the first player to win the award in back-to-back seasons since UConn's Breanna Stewart won three consecutive times from 2014-16. 

WNBA Mock Draft 2024 

Caitlin Clark has announced her decision to declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft. Clark is expected to be the No.1 overall pick, the first WNBA lottery pick to come from Iowa. 

Bueckers announced earlier this year that she would be returning to UConn for the 2024-25 season. Prior to her decision Bueckers was considered a top three pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. 

When Is The Women's National Championship?

The winners of the Final Four will face off in the National Championship on April 7 at 2:00 pm CT. 

When Is The WNBA Draft 2024?

The WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York.  

This marks the first time the WNBA Draft will be a seated event with fans in attendance since the 2014-2016 drafts held at Mohegan Sun Arena. 

Watch NCAA Women's Basketball On FloHoops

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