Steph Curry, Kim Mulkey, Lisa Bluder, and more talk about what separates Caitlin Clark
With the women’s all-time scoring record right at the tips of her fingers, Caitlin Clark remains the face of college basketball. The Iowa Hawkeyes star point guard has been one of the biggest stories this entire season and it could culminate very soon with her magical, record-breaking moment.
As she needs just eight points to break Kelsey Plum’s record, stars across all levels of basketball have spoken up about her play and what she means not just to the women’s college game, but to basketball as a whole.
USA TODAY’s Lindsay Schnell took a look at what some of the biggest names in the game said about Caitlin Clark’s moment ahead of tonight’s game.
BUY Caitlin Clark commemorative cover from USA TODAY
Before the Hawkeyes tip-off against the Michigan Wolverines inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7 p.m. CT, take a look at some of the thoughts and praises there are for Caitlin Clark as we get prepared to enjoy a historic moment.
Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors point guard
To have rhythm and balance when you’re shooting off the dribble, that’s the hardest thing to master … especially when you’re a playmaker like her and you’re deciding if you’re going to pass or shoot. That’s why she’s such a threat, because she can do both, and both are lethal.
Steph Curry knows quite a bit about shooting the basketball. Quite possibly the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history, he praises Caitlin Clark’s ability to not only score from anywhere but get her teammates involved.
Kim Mulkey, LSU women's basketball head coach
She’s a generational talent. I couldn’t take my eyes off her when they were playing South Carolina. It was the first time I’d ever seen her play in person (and what doesn’t show up on TV) is how she gets herself open, how she can use that one little step back move, how you think you’ve got her guarded and she can blow by you without blazing speed but a great first step.
Quite the praise from the LSU Tigers’ head coach who defeated Clark in the national championship last year. But, Mulkey deserves her credit for the respect she is paying Caitlin Clark and realizing just what she can do for a team.
Gus Johnson, FOX announcer
To see her play in person, the only thing I can equate it to is when (Michael) Jordan would come to town … She has so much creativity in her game; it’s not just that you’re seeing a great basketball player, she’s an artist.
Gus Johnson has been around the block and seen nearly everything. The praise of comparing Caitlin Clark to Michael Jordan says it all. She is a generational talent.
Maya Moore, former WNBA star
Watching her in the tournament, especially the run they made … when you’re a really good offensive player and you come on the scene it’s like, OK, people are going to take awhile to figure you out. Then you do it again, and again and you keep getting better like she did, that’s the marker of someone who’s the real deal.
Maya Moore is someone who knows a little bit about what it takes to consistently perform at a high level. Stamping the “real deal” label on Caitlin Clark is high praise from the women’s basketball legend.
Megan Gustafson, former Iowa player & current WNBA player
Her freshman year, as soon as I watched her play I was like, this is ridiculous. She creates a lot of challenges because she’s so unpredictable. You don’t know what she’s going to do at any given moment. I thought it was really cool that with all that she does, she got the (Iowa) record on a post move.
There might not be anyone more familiar with the spotlight Caitlin Clark is in right now than Megan Gustafson. One of Iowa’s greats, she understands what it is like and has seen this coming from Clark’s early days with the Hawkeyes.
Kelsey Mitchell, former Ohio State player & current WBNA player
I respect any ladies taking the game to the next level. Being a bigger guard, that always helps, and Caitlin has that. That (size) and her logo 3, that’s rare. But for any guard it’s about finding your spots and understanding angles. That’s an intuitive feeling as a scorer. What people don’t understand is, this game is about reading and reacting. I think that’s undervalued and underappreciated.
Kelsey Mitchell talked a bit about Caitlin Clark’s instincts and her ability to feel the game at a level most players don’t ever get to. Her ability to trust her instincts helps her get open and create for herself and teammates.
Lisa Bluder, Iowa women's basketball head coach
We always knew there was something special about her. She’s always been a little different in a good way …
What more needs said? Lisa Bluder nails it right here. Caitlin Clark truly is a special player who is different because of her greatness.
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