Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark will enter the final chapter of her prolific collegiate career next week when the Hawkeyes take the floor for the NCAA Tournament. Marking the end of an era for one of the most accomplished and groundbreaking college athletes of all time across all sports.
Off the court, Clark has made an immeasurable impact in women’s basketball. But on the court, she’s also changed the game with her play style which has drawn comparisons to four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry throughout her career.
Curry recently joined CBS Mornings and was asked about Clark, speaking on their comparative play style and how she’s played a role on shifting the culture surrounding women’s basketball.
“I’ve been watching from afar and understanding just how much of a power she is out there on the court,” Curry told Jericka Duncan. “The cool part is the way that she plays, and her range, and the level of difficulty on her shots is obviously a very close comparison to the way that I play.”
Curry is regarded by most as the best shooter the game of basketball has ever seen, breaking the NBA’s career three-pointers made record in December of 2021 in unique fashion. Known for making impressive three-point baskets off the dribble, from deep behind the three-point line, with a defender contesting his shot, and sometimes a combination of all three.
Clark has boasted a similar three-point ability throughout her career at Iowa, most recently hitting a Curry-like step back three-pointer with less than a minute remaining in overtime of Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament title game versus Nebraska to solidify the win. Scoring 34 points to help lead the Hawkeyes to their third straight conference tournament championship and her third straight Big Ten Women’s Tournament Most Outstanding Player award.
But despite her shooting ability resembling Curry’s, he believes that the comparison does not paint the complete picture of what she brings to the table as a basketball player.
“But I think it almost robs her of like the rest of her game,” Curry said. “Because she’s such a good floor [general], she has her overall floor game. She’s racking up close to triple-doubles every night. Her shooting ability is her super power but the rest of her game is as polished as that, so this is must-see TV.”
Clark passed LSU‘s ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich last Sunday to become the all-time leading scorer across men’s and women’s college basketball, with 1,560 of her 3,771 career points coming from behind the arc.
But along with currently leading women’s basketball with 31.9 points per game, she also leads the nation in assists averaging 8.9 a game this season. Becoming the first men’s or women’s player to achieve 3,000 career points and 1,000 career assists earlier this season. Also ranking second all-time in women’s college basketball history with 17 career triple-doubles.
“I love what it has done for women’s basketball in terms of when she shows up the seats are filled and there’s a different energy,” Curry said.
Caitlin Clark’s career isn’t quite over for the Hawkeyes, but there’s not question that she played a major part in moving the game of women’s basketball forward on and off the court. Regularly selling out arenas, breaking television viewership numbers, and playing with a never-before-seen style of play in the women’s game that’s inspired the next generation of players.
