Caitlin Clark is currently helping the Indiana Fever hold a solid 21-12 record in the WNBA, with the team winning seven of their last ten games.
Yet even with Clark’s fingerprints all over her team’s resurgence, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma has once again found himself talking about her and not in a way the WNBA world is thrilled about.
Geno Auriemma’s Criticisms of Caitlin Clark
During an appearance on “Mad Dog Sports Radio” on Thursday, Auriemma said his former player Paige Bueckers was initially the face of women’s college basketball after she won every award possible during her freshman season.
According to Auriemma, Clark rose to fame only after Bueckers missed time in the following two seasons due to injuries. He went on to suggest that Clark’s rise to national prominence wasn’t really about her being a better player than anyone who came before her. Instead, he framed it as a matter of timing.
“Caitlin and Paige were both freshmen in the same year, and that freshman year was the bubble year. Paige won every single award there was to win. The first freshman ever in history to win every award. And if you were to say, ‘Hey, who is the face of women’s basketball?’ You would say Paige Bueckers. No one mentioned Caitlin Clark as a freshman. Through circumstances, Paige didn’t play, she missed a whole year, and Caitlin decided to start shooting from the logo and the place erupts.”
“And it becomes a phenomenon, not because she was a better player than anyone who had come before… but because she was taking shots that people in their right mind wouldn’t even take, much less make. She was doing something that no one had done before,” Auriemma said.
As snippets from the podcast started circulating online, reactions quickly came in.
The WNBA world was quick to point out that Clark actually shared the major 2021 Division I Freshman of the Year honors with Bueckers following a historic debut season at Iowa, where she averaged an eye-popping 26.6 points per game. Bueckers, by comparison, averaged 19.8 points per game that same season.
A user shared a screenshot detailing the numbers and didn’t hold back, accusing Auriemma of speaking without facts.
“this old man not tired yet? CC was special from day 1,” they wrote.
this old man not tired yet? CC was special from day 1 https://t.co/NKfsKqCOWM pic.twitter.com/SzZsxCysfC
— correlation (@nosyone4) August 14, 2026
Clark took a middling Iowa Hawkeyes roster to the national championship game twice, in both 2023 and 2024. For many Fever and CC fans, that alone undercuts the idea that Clark’s rise was simply a matter of circumstance.
“Yeah this sells Caitlin so short. Caitlin is someone who imo doesn’t look like a ball player, yet she not only can make shots from the parking lot, she can play make better than anyone else. Add on top of that how she took an average team to the finals twice, and that’s why she’s so special,” another Fever fan commented.
Yeah this sells Caitlin so short. Caitlin is someone who imo doesn’t look like a ball player, yet she not only can make shots from the parking lot, she can play make better than anyone else.
Add on top of that how she took an average team to the finals twice, and that’s why… https://t.co/6oiNxSiFTR
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) August 14, 2026
Another user also brought up Clark’s college career scoring total. She finished at Iowa as the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer, men’s or women’s, with 3,951 points, surpassing the record long held by Pete Maravich. To supporters, that record alone settles the greatness debate.
“Before Caitlin, no player in women’s college basketball history had ever led the country in both scoring and assists. If she wasn’t better than other greats, she wouldn’t have been the first to do that,” the sports influencer said.
Before Caitlin, no player in women’s college basketball history had ever led the country in both scoring and assists.
If she wasn’t better than other greats, she wouldn’t have been the first to do that https://t.co/ZbNlxfVfnW— Tomisin (@Tlobs_) August 14, 2026
While most on social media were busy calling out Auriemma for his comments, one user took a different approach. Instead of debating Clark’s accomplishments, the user simply questioned why the UConn head coach continues to criticize the Fever star.
“What is this guy’s deal? Always comes off so bitter. He can’t accept that the best college player wasn’t a husky, so he downplays her every chance he gets,” they wrote.
What is this guy’s deal? Always comes off so bitter. He can’t accept that the best college player wasn’t a husky, so he downplays her every chance he gets. https://t.co/BcVYjTzMKQ
— Anne (@docboogie) August 14, 2026
For many fans, the answer is obvious, and as Clark continues to make an impact with the Fever, the debate surrounding her legacy appears far from over.
