“Caitlin Clark Really Hurt This Man’s Feelings”: Fans React as Geno Auriemma Says Ex-Iowa Star Wasn’t Famous For Being Better Than Everyone Else

Geno Auriemma, a former coach at UConn, recently sparked a discussion with his comments about Caitlin Clark's rise to fame. During a conversation on Mad Dog Sports Radio, Auriemma compared Clark's popularity to that of his former player, Paige Bueckers.

Auriemma explained that Bueckers had been the face of women's college basketball following her freshman season, where she won every award. However, Clark's popularity took off after Bueckers missed time due to injuries in her sophomore and junior years.

Auriemma emphasized that Clark's fame was not due to her being a better player than anyone else, but because she did things differently. "Paige [Bueckers] didn't play; she missed the whole year," Auriemma said. "Caitlin [Clark] decides to start making shots from the logo and the place erupts. And it becomes a phenomenon, not because she all of a sudden is a better player than anybody who's ever played. ... But she was doing something that no one had done before."

However, Clark's comments did not sit well with fans from Iowa, the University of Iowa, and the Fever. Many felt that Auriemma downplayed her on- and off-court value. One fan commented, "Man, Caitlin Clark really hurt this man's feelings SMH."

When comparing the two players' freshman seasons, Clark had a better statistical performance. She averaged 26.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds, compared to Bueckers' 20.0 ppg, 5.8 apg, and 4.9 rpg. Bueckers was also more efficient as a shooter, making 52.4% of her field goal attempts, including 46.4% from beyond the arc. Clark, on the other hand, shot 47.2% from the field, including 40.6% from the three-point range.