Geno Auriemma's legacy cost Paige Bueckers a chance to dethrone Caitlin Clark despite "significant title drought," says NCAAB analyst

The discussion about Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark resurfaced this week as the UConn star became the first NIL athlete to launch her own player-exclusive shoe. Comparisons between the two women’s basketball stars often arise whenever one achieves a new milestone.

With Bueckers’ Nike GT Hustle 3 set to release on Dec. 7, the debate surrounding her and Clark has picked up steam again, with many fans expressing frustration that Bueckers is receiving a Nike shoe before Clark.

Weighing in on the discussion, ESPN anchor duo Elle Duncan and Gary Striewski debated who is more impactful on the recent episode of "The Elle Duncan Show."

"To the point, I think it's who Caitlin is, I think it's the team that she played for. I don't think we'll ever see a season like we saw last year, just in terms of the impact, the new viewership that was there for her," Duncan said (8:42 mark).

"And I don't think Paige winning a national championship this year would change that or even contend with it. That's just the truth of it," she added.

Duncan also pointed to UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s legacy as a factor in the impact Paige Bueckers has had compared to Caitlin Clark.

"It was improbable that they (Iowa Hawkeyes) owould have been in two straight finals, right? UConn — it is expected, especially if healthy, especially with Geno Auriemma, that they would finally get the championship. Although it's been since 2016, which by UConn standards, is a significant title drought," she said.

Elle Duncan compares Paige Bueckers-Caitlin Clark to LeBron James-Steph Curry

Elle Duncan drew parallels between the Paige Bueckers-Caitlin Clark rivalry and the LeBron James-Steph Curry debate.

Speaking with Gary Striewski on her podcast Tuesday, she explained how the storyline around Bueckers and Clark reminds her of the James-Curry comparison.

"For me Paige and Caitlin and the difference in whether you think one is a better player than the other, it really just comes down to your taste preference.

"And when someone says Steph Curry is their favorite player, more so than LeBron, I can 100% understand why they make that argument. And Steph and Caitlin are much more similar and I would say that Paige and LeBron are much more similar in terms of efficiency."

Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark have faced each other on the college court three times, with UConn winning the first two matchups and Iowa coming out on top in last season's Final Four.