It’s rare for someone to come along and change how a sport is played. That’s what Clark, who passed Pete Maravich’s scoring record Sunday, has done.
Caitlin Clark is the best offensive player we’ve seen in women’s college basketball in at least the past three decades. Her points total, while massive and now unmatched, only tells part of the story. While we’ve seen incredible scorers — Lynette Woodard, Kelsey Plum, Maya Moore, Jackie Stiles, Brittney Griner — we’ve NEVER seen a woman play like this.
The consistent range on the Iowa senior’s shot, and her willingness to regularly pull up from deep, makes her different. This season, she has made 88 shots from 25 feet or beyond. In the past five years, the next highest single-season total by someone other than Clark is 51 (Indiana guard Sara Scalia in 2021-22), according to CBB Analytics. Defenders have to pick her up as soon as she crosses half court, or else she is within makeable range.
Steph Curry and Damian Lillard are the only other half-court threats who come to mind. Clark’s mere presence on the court manipulates individual and team defenses and creates better spacing for each of her teammates.
But it is her passing that elevates her above the other great scorers in the women’s game. Her passing makes her not only the best scorer but also the best all-around offensive player.
Clark is the best “get-ahead” passer since Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.
