3 key differences between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers based on stats

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have been compared to each other since their college days. As two of the most exciting prospects in women's basketball, they could have been teammates at UConn, but Clark elected to represent and break records at Iowa.

After Bueckers won the 2025 NCAA national championship, comparisons between the two guards flooded social media again. Although they are two remarkable talents who lit up the competition in their senior year, there are clear differences between Clark and Bueckers.

Statistics show that they are different players with different approaches to the game.

Three biggest differences between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers

Caitlin Clark is a more aggressive scorer with better playmaking skills

Caitlin Clark played only 16 games more than Paige Bueckers (139 to 123), yet the UConn Huskies guard posted better numbers on offense, averaging 19.8 points per game against 19.2 from Clark. That said, there's a number that shows Bueckers isn't as aggressive as Clark on the offensive side of the ball.

Bueckers averaged 14.2 field goal attempts per game, while Clark posted 20.1. Paige was more efficient (53.1%), but Clark still shot 46.2%.

The 3-point percentages also favor Bueckers (42.3% on 4.5 3-point attempts per game), but Clark's shooting skills were one of her main traits in college (46.2% on 13.6 3PA).

On that note, Clark was in charge of orchestrating the offense of the Hawkeyes, which meant she had the ball in her hands a big chunk of the time she spent on the court. CC finished her college career with 8.2 assists per game, nearly twice that of Bueckers (4.5 apg).

Paige Bueckers is more effective at taking care of the ball

The number of assists both players recorded during their college years also shows that Bueckers did a better job of protecting the ball. She averaged 1.7 turnovers per game during her four-year career, much less than the 4.6 Clark posted with the Hawkeyes.

It's worth noting that the differences between their teammates made it necessary for Clark to hold onto the ball longer than Bueckers, who had more talented teammates at UConn.

Paige Bueckers is the best defender

Talking about defense is always hard, especially at the highest levels. While numbers may tell a part of the story, you need to watch to understand better who puts in the work on the less glamorous side of the ball.

Bueckers averaged 2.1 spg and 0.8 bpg, and Clark posted 1.5 spg and 0.5 bpg. Besides the numbers, the film shows that Bueckers was better on defense, rotating and bothering opponents and creating opportunities for her squad.

Clark, although a capable defender, still has work to do on that end. These two girls are expected to battle for many years in the WNBA and once they establish themselves as stars, new comparisons will show up.