CLEVELAND — The last time Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers played against each other as freshmen, Bueckers put up 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Clark had 21 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals.
But a lot has changed since then.
After Bueckers' fantastic freshman season, she dealt with injuries her sophomore and junior year. When healthy, she's considered one of the best all-around players in the nation.
"Paige has always been one of the most dominant players in her game and that has never changed. She's always been able to go up against the best, whether it's internationally or whether it's in the college game, whether it was high school," Clark said. "Like she's always been able to match the talent and, if not, be better every single time she steps on the floor."
Clark has ascended to superstardom since their last meeting, broken countless records and has led her team to back-to-back Final Fours.
"I mean, Caitlin's a competitor. She's a winner. She's a great basketball player. Everybody sees it," Bueckers said. "She's done so much for the game and she's the best scorer college basketball has ever seen."
They've been competing against each other even before college, dating back to their AAU days.
"I think the biggest thing about her game is like how smooth she is and that's been the same way since she was in sixth grade," Clark said. "She's always been so good and she's always worked so hard at it."
The pair have actually shared the court as teammates as well: They were both on the united states U19 FIBA roster in 2019.
"I think our first year on Team USA was going into our freshman year. So we've known each other for a very long time. We've been competing against and with each other for a very long time," Bueckers said.
Their final college game against each other will be a big one, with a trip to the national championship on the line.
Bueckers announced earlier this season that she'll be returning to UConn next season. Clark declared for the WNBA Draft, where she's expected to be the No. 1 overall pick.