NCAAB analyst Jay Bilas dismisses Geno Auriemma’s Paige Bueckers-Caitlin Clark take, while giving JuJu Watkins her flowers

Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark have sparked a never-ending debate among women's basketball fans with their immense talent on the court. On Tuesday, NCAAB analyst Jay Bilas joined the conversation, making a few comments while calling the game between Kansas and Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic this Tuesday.

Bilas, who called the Jayhawks-Spartans game alongside Dan Schulman, brought up UConn head coach Geno Auriemma's preference towards Bueckers in the debate.

"I know one person that thinks that Paige Bueckers is better than Caitlin Clark was. Geno Auriemma," Bilas said.

Bilas believed that Clark still has the edge over Bueckers in this raging debate, before terming the UConn star and USC's superstar sophomore JuJu Watkins as the face of women's basketball in the long term.

"[Bueckers] is spectacular," said Bilas. "I wouldn't go so far as saying better, but she's going to be the force — her and JuJu Watkins at USC — the two forces and faces in the game."

Caitlin Clark enjoyed an incredible 2023-24 season with the Iowa Hawkeyes, which was her last season in college basketball. In 39 appearances, she finished as the nation's top scorer, averaging 31.6 points, while also averaging 7.4 rebounds and 8.9 assists.

Clark's impressive performances saw her earn unanimous First-Team All-American honors and consensus National Player of the Year for the second consecutive season before the Indiana Fever made her the top pick in this year's WNBA draft.

She carried her trailblazing antics into the WNBA, leading the Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award in near-unanimous fashion.

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Paige Bueckers begins 2024-25 season with a bang

Paige Bueckers is laser-focused on her goal of winning a national championship with UConn in her final season of college basketball. She made a mark in the Huskies' opening two games of the season, leading them to impressive victories over the Boston University Terriers and the South Florida Bulls.

Paige Bueckers has been stellar in UConn's opening two games of the season (Credits: IMAGN)

Across both games, Bueckers averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 4.0 assists. Touted as a top pick for next year's WNBA draft, the 6'0" guard will hope she can avoid injuries and maintain her consistency, given the Huskies' hopes of ending their national championship drought would rely on her performances this season.