Caitlin Clark vs Paige Bueckers: What you need to know from stats to recruitment for Final Four matchup (2024)

Star power and prime matchups have carried the day in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

Friday's Final Four will be no different, as two of the top players in the sport, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, will go head-to-head in the much-anticipated matchup between 1 seed Iowa (33-4) and 3 seed UConn (33-5) at 8:30 p.m. CT in the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

REQUIRED READING:Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark repeats as Naismith Trophy winner

Clark had 41 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, knocking down seven 3-pointers which tied an NCAA Tournament record in a 94-87 victory over LSU in the Elite Eight on April 1 which pulled in a record 12.3 million viewers. The victory served as revenge for a 102-85 national championship loss in 2023 for Clark and the Hawkeyes.

Meanwhile, Bueckers finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in a 80-73 victory for the Huskies over freshman sensation JuJu Watkins and 1 seed USC. Bueckers, who missed all of the 2022-23 season, has averaged 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists, 3.3 steals and shooting 51.5% from the field during the NCAA Tournament run.

Here's what you need to know about the two superstars ahead of their matchup, including their stats, recruitment and more.

Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers: The 2021 Sweet 16

Friday will not be the first time the superstars face off on the court in college. On March 27, 2021, 5 seed Iowa and No. 1 overall seed UConn faced off in the River Walk Regional in San Antonio, Texas. Bueckers flirted with a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a 92-72 UConn win. The Huskies were knocked out the next round in the semifinal by Arizona. Aaliyah Edwards had 18 points on 9-for-11 shooting in the game.

Clark finished with 21 points, three rebounds, five assists and five turnovers in the loss, struggling from the field shooting 7-for-21 overall and 4-for-12 from 3-point range.

Iowa and UConn played one another the following season on Nov. 27, 2022, Bueckers missed the game with an injury, but Edwards had 20 points and 13 rebounds and Azzi Fudd finished with 24 points in the 86-79 UConn win. Clark scored 25 points, shooting 2-for-11 from 3-point range. Kate Martin added 20 points for the Hawkeyes.

Caitlin Clark vs Paige Bueckers in the 2020 recruiting class

Bueckers was the top-rated prospect by espnW rankings for the 2020 recruiting class, while Clark was ranked No. 4. Bueckers played five seasons of varsity basketball for Hopkins High in Minnetonka, Minnesota, averaging 21 points, 9.2 assists, 5.2 steals, and 5.1 rebounds per game as a senior. She picked UConn over offers from Notre Dame,Oregon State,Oregon,and UCLA, among others.

Clark was also highly sought-after in her recruitment, but notably did not get much attention from the Huskies and long-time coach Geno Auriemma. She played four seasons of varsity basketball at Dowling Catholic High in West Des Moines, Iowa. She scored 60 points in a game during her junior season, before averaging 33.4 points, eight rebounds, four assists and 2.7 steals per game as a senior. Clark also played varsity soccer for her first two high school years.

Caitlin Clark stats

Here's a breakdown of Clark's stats from season to season in her four years with the Hawkeyes. Clark has led Iowa to the Sweet 16, second round, championship game and Final Four so far in her time in Iowa City, Iowa.

• 2020-21:26.6 points per game (47.2%), 5.9 rebounds per game, 7.1 assists per game, 1.3 steals per game (30 games)
• 2021-22:27 points per game (45.2%), 8 rebounds per game, 8 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game (32 games)
• 2022-23:27.8 points per game (47.3%), 7.1 rebounds per game, 8.6 assists per game, 2.3 steals per game (38 games)
• 2023-24:32.0 points per game (46%), 7.3 rebounds per game, 9 assists per game, 1.8 steals per game (37 games)

Paige Bueckers stats

Here is a year-by-year look at Buecker's stats. She missed 19 games during the 2021-22 season and the entirety of the 2022-23 season due to ACL surgery. Bueckers went 584 days betweengames following the end of the 2021-22 season and her return on Nov. 8 this past season.

• 2020-21:20.0 points per game (52.4%), 4.9 rebounds per game, 5.7 assists per game, 2.3 steals per game (28 games)
• 2021-22:14.6 points per game (54.4%), 4.0 rebounds per game, 3.9 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game (17 games)
• 2022-23:did not play (ACL)
• 2023-24:22.0 points per game (53.4%), 5.2 rebounds per game, 3.9 assists per game, 2.3 steals per game (38 games)

Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers advanced stats

Both are listed as guards on their respective teams' rosters. Bueckers is listed at 6 feet tall by the UConn roster, while Clark is listed as the same height on the Iowa roster.

Here is a look at some advanced stats for Clark and Bueckers and how they stack up against one another: