There’s no denying Caitlin Clark is the most popular name in college basketball during the past few months. But for Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper, her similarities to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry sets her apart from the competition.
Before committing to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark was ranked number one among all the other players in the 2020 High School Class by ESPN. Since then, the talented guard moved on to play for Iowa and built her legend as a dominant scorer and playmaker.
Even during her rookie campaign, Clark made her name known by leading all players in scoring and placing second in assists. From there, the future WNBA star would lead the Hawkeyes to deep runs in the NCAA Tournament, mainly by using her innate talent of draining shots from beyond the perimeter.
By using a skillset similar to the Warriors’ All-Star guard, Clark was able to build herself as the best player of her generation. This can be seen in how she was able to beat Pete Maravich’s old record by becoming the all-time leading scorer in college basketball history.
Los Angeles Lakers Legend Michael Cooper Says Caitlin Clark is Female Version of Stephen Curry
As Caitlin’s legend grows by the day, several personalities have made their opinion of the star known recently. Among those who have shared their thoughts is Los Angeles Lakers star Michael Cooper, as seen in an article written by Jacob Uitti for The Guardian:
“She’s the female version of Steph Curry. She has range, she has that tenacity, that will to score. And it’s going to be fun watching her. Just think – next year, she goes into the WNBA and you have probably the greatest women’s scorer ever.
She’s the best shooter God ever gave the WNBA. And I know the NBA is salivating about that given the new addition [to the NBA All-Star game]. If I were her coach, I’d tell her it’s going to be different [for her] in the pros compared to college. In the WNBA, they can identify you and get their defense to stop her,” Uitti wrote.
As seen in her time playing for Iowa, Clark is able to hit those long-range bombs with accuracy while creating plays for herself and her teammates. In a way, that kind of game resembles that of Curry, especially during his prime with the Warriors.
Clark will soon find herself playing in the WNBA once the NCAA Tournament is done. Hopefully, her professional career takes a similar path to Curry when that time comes, if Lakers champion Michael Cooper is to be believed.
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