Former Chicago Sky guard Lexie Brown weighs in on Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers debate
Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are two of the best players and biggest names in women's college basketball right now, and they're set to face off in the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday (9:30 p.m. ET).
Naturally, one of the hot topics in the college hoops world ahead of the highly anticipated tilt between top-seeded Iowa and No. 3 UConn is centered around which of the two guards is better.
While many would be quick to choose Clark because of her record-breaking year, former Super Bowl champion Keyshawn Johnson and Los Angeles Sparks guard Lexie Brown had a different opinion on Friday's edition of "All Facts No Brakes."
"I like Paige — she's just more active," Johnson said. "To me, she gives me more."
"I think Paige is more complete," Brown added.
Johnson and Brown went on to compliment Clark's game and made it clear they were not dismissing her accomplishments with the Hawkeyes. They both simply agreed that they find Bueckers to be the better all-around player.
Bueckers, who's back and healthy after suffering a knee injury last season, is averaging 21.3 points and 1.4 assists per game, while draining 53.8% of her shots and sinking 73 3-pointers this season.
Clark is averaging 31.9 points and 4.8 assists per game with a shooting percentage of 46%. She has made a jaw-dropping 173 3-pointers this season. The Big Ten Player of the Year also recently broke the all-time NCAA scoring record and is the first player — man or woman — to compile 3,000 points, 1,000 assists and 850 rebounds in a career.
Johnson went on to question the way LSU defended Clark, an obvious explosive offensive weapon, in the Sweet 16.
"[Clark] can pass the ball — she can do a lot of different stuff," Johnson said. "Kim Mulkey's game plan … was a weird game plan. That's the only player on the team that y'all think can score the type of points to beat y'all … and you're just letting her do it freely?"
Brown also believes that the LSU defenders could have done a better job containing the two-time AP Player of the Year.
"She likes to go left — all the deep 3s, all the step-backs," Brown began. "I would've forced her right. Trapped her … just sent two at her. … Her teammates are extremely talented, but you take away [Caitlin's points and] … LSU wins that game."
Brown hopes that is what her team is able to do when they face Clark in the WNBA next season. The Hawkeyes star announced on February 29 that she would be forgoing her final year of eligibility and declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Indiana Fever, which finished 10th in the league with a 13-27 record last season, hold the No. 1 pick.
Looking ahead to Friday's Final Four matchup, both Johnson and Brown predicted that the Huskies would pull out the win, with their money on Bueckers' ability to give "more" over Clark's ability to score.
"She has a little bit more, to me, in her game and I think she's a better defender," Johnson concluded.
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