Bueckers has always been a player who thrives under pressure, but the constant comparison to Clark was something entirely different. In the interview, Bueckers admitted that the narrative that she was trying to overshadow Clark, or “steal the spotlight” from her, cut deeper than anything she had experienced on the court.

“There’s so much love and respect for Caitlin,” Bueckers said, wiping tears from her eyes. “She’s an incredible player, and I’ve always looked up to her. But for people to say that I was trying to outshine her—it just isn’t true. It’s hurtful. I never wanted that, and it’s been hard to deal with.”

The comparisons between the two stars started almost immediately after Bueckers’ arrival at UConn.

With both players being labeled as the future faces of women’s college basketball, the media and fans began drawing direct comparisons between their playing styles, accomplishments, and personalities.

Bueckers’ sensational freshman season at UConn, in which she won the Naismith College Player of the Year award, only fueled the notion that she was the top player in the country, and inevitably, the rivalry with Clark was born.

A Rivalry Built on Misunderstanding

While the media and fans fueled the rivalry narrative, Bueckers’ response was always one of humility.

She repeatedly emphasized that while she respected Clark as a player, she never sought to compete with her in terms of individual accomplishments. Yet, the pressure to measure up to Clark and the constant public scrutiny that followed began to take a serious toll.

Geno Auriemma admits he has Paige Bueckers ‘dilemma’ at UConn

After injuries to three key players on the eve of the new NCAA season, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma has given his verdict on the options he has at his disposal amid a “dilemma”.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma has admitted that he is facing a “dilemma” when it comes to how his team will cope when standout talent Paige Bueckers is not on the floor.

The Huskies head coach is preparing his team for its NCAA season opener versus Boston University on Nov. 8 but will likely have to do without three key names on the night. As the new campaign looms on the horizon, Azzi Fudd and Aubrey Griffin are sidelined with ACL injuries, while Caroline Ducharme is out with a head and neck issue.

As he aims to lead the Connecticut outfit to a 12th Division I championship under his leadership, Auriemma has issued a balanced take on the team’s injury crisis on the eve of the season. That said, the veteran coach is all too aware that problems could arise when Bueckers is not present to lead by example on court.

The senior guard averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game last season after rallying back from an ACL injury which curtailed her 2022-23 season. Emphasizing Bueckers’ importance to the Huskies operation, Auriemma admitted: “The dilemma we are going to have early on is when Paige is not on the floor.

“There is just not an experienced guard other than Kaitlin, and Kaitlin is a scoring point guard,” he continued, as he predicted Kaitlyn Chen having an impact this season. “She is aggressive with the ball, and I think as she learns how be as much of a distributor as she is a scorer, that will help when Paige is not on the floor.”

Either way, the coach was honest about the options at his disposal as he reinforced his admiration for Bueckers and Sarah Strong, adding: “If Paige and Sarah (Strong) are not both on the floor, then it makes it difficult for (other players) to kinda know who do we rely on. That’s going to take some time.”

“Obviously, it’s going to be difficult in the beginning because we are going to rely so much on those guys for so many things. But it’s similar to what we have experience in the past. It takes a little bit of time.

“Paige can do a lot to help fix that whenever it goes sideways, especially in the frame of mind that she is in right now, the way she has been at practice all preseason.”

Following the team’s 89-49 win over Fort Hayes State in an exhibition game recently, Auriemma praised his team, saying: “I don’t have any concerns. I think that the reason you play exhibition games is to get out in public for the first time, so you expect your veterans to play like veterans and you expect your young players to be a little bit nervous in the beginning.

“All of our veterans played great, I thought Paige was fantastic. All the other veterans, they were lousy! They were on the bench, so I’m not concerned.”