Can One Player Win a Championship All By Themselves?

[The deacon]

Yes she does. She also knows when to take over a game by herself as in the NC State game last year and the South Carolina game the year before, the way Diana used to. MJ always got his teammates involved early so they would be ready for later ala Steve Kerr and John Paxson.

It's amazing to me how some here who had started to recognize Clark's greatness have now, because LSU shot lights out against the Hawkeyes, retreated to earlier stances, and feel Paige has an edge on Caitlin as a point guard and leader of her team.

Please tell me Clark hasn't been amazingly good at knowing when to take over games all season, against a tough schedule? Has anyone ever had a better NCAA tournament (maybe Sheryl Swoopes?)?

What Paige did vs. NC State was absolutely wonderful in '22, but it didn't touch what Caitlin just did vs. South Carolina. Clark assisted 10 baskets by her teammates, and finally carried the load down the stretch when it became apparent she had to. And yesterday, LSA simply blitzed the Hawkeyes off the court in the first half and Caitlin was famously dogged by foul trouble.

I've watched Clark play many games over the past three years and she's getting better and better at managing her own game and that of the team. As a reminder, she has been doing that with lesser quality teammates than Paige has had around her.

 

[Viet Vet]

I can think of only two players who virtually alone took a team to the championship game. Unfortunately both lost........................Larry Bird and Caitlin Clark.

 

[oldude]

It's amazing to me how some here who had started to recognize Clark's greatness have now, because LSU shot lights out against the Hawkeyes, retreated to earlier stances, and feel Paige has an edge on Caitlin as a point guard and leader of her team.

Please tell me Clark hasn't been amazingly good at knowing when to take over games all season, against a tough schedule? Has anyone ever had a better NCAA tournament (maybe Sheryl Swoopes?)?

What Paige did vs. NC State was absolutely wonderful in '22, but it didn't touch what Caitlin just did vs. South Carolina. Clark assisted 10 baskets by her teammates, and finally carried the load down the stretch when it became apparent she had to. And yesterday, LSA simply blitzed the Hawkeyes off the court in the first half and Caitlin was famously dogged by foul trouble.

I've watched Clark play many games over the past three years and she's getting better and better at managing her own game and that of the team. As a reminder, she has been doing that with lesser quality teammates than Paige has had around her.

Clark is a great player and the best shooter in WBB, without a doubt. But I will take a healthy Paige over Clark every day of the week. As I indicated, Paige makes better decisions on the court. I will add that Paige is a better defender than Clark and she is also a better scorer from midrange with her pull-up jumper, a beautiful teardrop floater and a great running one hander off the glass.

 

[The deacon]

Clark is a great player and the best shooter in WBB, without a doubt. But I will take a healthy Paige over Clark every day of the week. As I indicated, Paige makes better decisions on the court. I will add that Paige is a better defender than Clark and she is also a better scorer from midrange with her pull-up jumper, a beautiful teardrop floater and a great running one hander off the glass.

If you often watched Caitlin play, Oldude, you'd have seen Caitlin's mid-range game, her running one-handers and all sorts of other shots to complement her three-pointers. She's every bit the match for Paige there.

I'll definitely agree Paige is the better defender, not because Clark doesn't play D, but because Paige had become excellent at it before her last injury.

As for your taking Paige over Caitlin every day of the week, I hope we have the real-life opportunity to compare them again. For now, it's what Clark does every game against what we hope Paige will be able to do again... my fingers are crossed.

 

[fomalhaut]

• 2000 – Sue Bird (Note that Shea Ralph, who also earned a NPOY award, was a key part of that team, and could well have been a #1 draft choice herself, had she not suffered multiple knee injuries during her college career.)

Not to mention Svetlana Abrosimova.

 

[oldude]

How soon they forget. Go back and watch Paige’s game vs SC during her freshman year or the Elite 8 game vs NC State last year. Paige is absolutely a “3 tier scorer” who can get her shot whenever she wants. UConn does not win either game without Paige’s brilliant play. Paige is already at Clark’s level, and a better all-around player imo.

 

[JonathanXIV]

In opposition to the OP's “One player cannot win a championship by themselves.”, I give you Danny Manning, 1988.

Can one player win a championship by themselves? I don't know. Let's ask Diana.

 

[BBallF]

It's amazing to me how some here who had started to recognize Clark's greatness have now, because LSU shot lights out against the Hawkeyes, retreated to earlier stances, and feel Paige has an edge on Caitlin as a point guard and leader of her team.

Please tell me Clark hasn't been amazingly good at knowing when to take over games all season, against a tough schedule? Has anyone ever had a better NCAA tournament (maybe Sheryl Swoopes?)?

What Paige did vs. NC State was absolutely wonderful in '22, but it didn't touch what Caitlin just did vs. South Carolina. Clark assisted 10 baskets by her teammates, and finally carried the load down the stretch when it became apparent she had to. And yesterday, LSA simply blitzed the Hawkeyes off the court in the first half and Caitlin was famously dogged by foul trouble.

I've watched Clark play many games over the past three years and she's getting better and better at managing her own game and that of the team. As a reminder, she has been doing that with lesser quality teammates than Paige has had around her.

All true but this is consistent with what old dude and I are saying. Yes, her tourney play was unparalleled in terms of her scoring and she is sheer beauty to watch on the court and she was the greatest player in America this year and has drawn attention to the women's game from viewers who never followed women's basketball before. Her game against SC was iconic. I still think Paige is a better all around player. DT never scored like Clark in the tourney but she was the reason for 2 titles in 2003 and 2004 and was a better all around player than her. And in terms of recognizing Clark's greatness previously who hasn't who is a serious fan of the women's game? If Paige is healthy, she and Caitlin will be the face of USA basketball for many years and people will tune in to see them play together. They are better combined in pure offense than the duo of DT and Sue ever were IMO, but better all around and at winning games? It's no contest yet. That's where the all around nature of the player says it all. Both Sue and Diana made everyone around them better and did so their entire careers. To me, Paige has that gift as well. It's very rare. Who had the greatest offensive skills of all time as a basketball player? Think long and hard. Not MJ, not Kobe, not Elgin. It was Pistol Pete Maravich to me. Did he make everyone around him better? No one ever says that about him.

 

[oldude]

Again, watch Paige take it to the rim against Boston & SC or against Brink & Stanford and perhaps you may need to reconsider your comment about Paige’s ability to attack the basket.

But you have introduced another consideration all together. That Paige isn’t Clark’s equal because she’s been injured. That’s a bit of a cheap shot and your suggestion that “people believe” it takes two years to get back from an ACL tear hasn’t been true for 10-20 years. Surgical techniques and rehab have advanced light years in the last decade, and Paige will have had 15 months from her injury to her first game next season.

I was reluctant to bring this up, but since we’re “cherry-picking” information to support our respective positions. There was one game, in the Sweet 16 of their freshmen seasons, when Paige and UConn matched up against Clark and Iowa. Clark outscored Paige 21-18. But after that, Paige was the best player on the court by far, outshooting Clark and besting her in: rebounds 9-2, assists 8-5 and fewer turnovers 2-5. Oh, and by the way, UConn won by 20 points.

In any event, we will have to disagree on this subject. We are talking about two great players. It is my sincere hope that we get to see both of them next season, fully healthy, matched up against each other.

 

[BBallF]

Can one player win a championship by themselves? I don't know. Let's ask Diana.

But she would say she didn't. She made Marie Conlon into a one game star as an example. She played with nerves of steel and her life and whole career have been changed by that game. That is Diana's legacy. The elevation of others by will, example, and courage. Geno finding her sobbing uncontrollably in the locker room alone, knowing she had the weight of the program, the coaches, her teammates and her school on her but finding a way. That's heroic to me.

 

[BBallF]

Coaching the players on how to make themselves available helps as does talent. That kid Carson destroyed Iowa in the first half with Reese sitting. Tell us how Clark was supposed to overcome any of that? Her roster is full of decent but not special players. The center is ok, but quick she ain’t.

Also Clark was covering her but handcuffed by the two early fouls, which among others, added up to the single worst officiated Championship game, men's or women's, in the the history of the NCAA. It was disgraceful and fortunately has gotten plenty of press.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird are the 4 greatest Point Guards in WBB history and the order can be interchangeable for having the most talent to make their teammates play better than their normal talent!
Both Taurasi and Bird have played with some of the greatest players in WBB, but Taurasi in 2003 and 2004 made average players GREAT to win 2 unbelievable NCAA Championships!
Watching Sue Bird play the last 3 years of her career showed the gift of creating the best from her Seattle teammates, even Stewie was better because of Sue!

 

[BBallF]

Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird are the 4 greatest Point Guards in WBB history and the order can be interchangeable for having the most talent to make their teammates play better than their normal talent!
Both Taurasi and Bird have played with some of the greatest players in WBB, but Taurasi in 2003 and 2004 made average players GREAT to win 2 unbelievable NCAA Championships!
Watching Sue Bird play the last 3 years of her career showed the gift of creating the best from her Seattle teammates, even Stewie was better because of Sue!

That's exactly right. The 2003 and 2004 titles were amazing. I still think that of the 4, the least all around best player is Clark, but she is the greatest offensive player. I give her a lot of credit. She stayed home, elevated the program and the visibility of the school, and had 2 iconic performances in a row in the Elite 8 and Semis. Too bad the officials prevented it from being 3 in a row.

 

[Carnac]

One player can not win a championship by themselves but Carson from LSU certainly had a big hand in LSU first half and Morris did in the 2nd half with her defense on Clark and her Mid range game. The cap was when she banked a 3 pointer after running the clock down near the end of the game.
UConn should have the ability to play with anyone next year but SC and LSU will certainly be formidable. Can't wait for the summer who is gonna start discussions.

You hit the nail on the head. I was going to use the same players in my illustration, but you beat me to it.

 

[Geew1992]

One player can not win a championship by themselves but Carson from LSU certainly had a big hand in LSU first half and Morris did in the 2nd half with her defense on Clark and her Mid range game. The cap was when she banked a 3 pointer after running the clock down near the end of the game.
UConn should have the ability to play with anyone next year but SC and LSU will certainly be formidable. Can't wait for the summer who is gonna start discussions.

The summer?? Don't you know those discussions started 6 weeks ago!

 

[oldude]

While I don’t think it’s fair to include injuries when we compare Paige and Clark as “basketball players,” since you want to focus on it, let’s take a look.

I agree with you that Paige was better than Clark as a freshman when both were healthy. But let’s look at their sophomore season. Paige missed a bunch of games as a result of a dislocated knee cap. Clark played all year and earned 1st team AA.

But when the Big Dance rolled around, Paige was back, leading a beaten up Husky team to the national championship game. What about Clark? Iowa lost in the 2nd round, at home in Iowa City to an underdog Creighton team, when Clark shot 4 for 19. So I think it’s pretty clear that, even in limited action, that Paige was better than Clark as a sophomore as well.

Which leads us all to this past season. Clark had a tremendous season, and deserved NPOY. But we will never know how Paige and UConn would have fared had she not been injured. If you want to suggest that Clark is more “durable” than Paige, I absolutely agree. But suggesting that because Clark was healthy and Paige was not, Clark is a better “basketball player” is just nonsense.

 

[and one]

Clark is a great player and the best shooter in WBB, without a doubt. But I will take a healthy Paige over Clark every day of the week. As I indicated, Paige makes better decisions on the court. I will add that Paige is a better defender than Clark and she is also a better scorer from midrange with her pull-up jumper, a beautiful teardrop floater and a great running one hander off the glass.

One great player can make the difference between winning or losing but only with help unless the opposing team stinks.

I can't say if Clark or Paige is the better player - face it, both are really good. I do think that Iowa without Clark is a worse team than UConn without Paige. From what I've seen Iowa without Clark is a .500 team. We know UConn without Paige is way better.

 

[Monte]

In Pickle Ball...yes!

 

[meyers7]

Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird are the 4 greatest Point Guards in WBB history and the order can be interchangeable for having the most talent to make their teammates play better than their normal talent!

Woah, woah, woah, woah. Now this is ridiculous. You can't put Clark and Bueckers in the same sentence with DT and Bird. Really not even yet for college, let alone WBB (college and pro and NT).

Clark and Bueckers haven't even played a single pro game, or a single NT game. This is sacrilege. So disrespectful. Clark/Bueckers between them have 2NPOY's, 3 AAs, and 0 NCs. Bird/DT have 3NPOYs, 4 AAs, 3 NCs, along with 7 WNBA championships, 22 WNBA all-stars, 11 Euro club championships, 10 Olympic GMs, 7 WC GMs. They hold WNBA most points scored (DT), most career assists (Bird). I mean come on, some of you guys are being nucking futs. You're comparing 2 of the greatest WBB players ever, ever, in history vs a couple college kids, 1 who has only played a year and 1/2?

Now, maybe 10 years down the road, we can see where they are. And maybe, they will become another Bird/DT. They probably got that potential. But that's years away. Years. Take it easy, enjoy the ride. Let it mature and develop.

Honestly, I have no idea what can be going on in some of y'alls heads.

 

[hoopsfan22]

That Paige isn’t Clark’s equal because she’s been injured. That’s a bit of a cheap shot

Being able to stay on the court is a quality all of its own, and part of what makes a great player great.

 

[BobbyJ]

While I don’t think it’s fair to include injuries when we compare Paige and Clark as “basketball players,” since you want to focus on it, let’s take a look.

I agree with you that Paige was better than Clark as a freshman when both were healthy. But let’s look at their sophomore season. Paige missed a bunch of games as a result of a dislocated knee cap. Clark played all year and earned 1st team AA.

But when the Big Dance rolled around, Paige was back, leading a beaten up Husky team to the national championship game. What about Clark? Iowa lost in the 2nd round, at home in Iowa City to an underdog Creighton team, when Clark shot 4 for 19. So I think it’s pretty clear that, even in limited action, that Paige was better than Clark as a sophomore as well.

Which leads us all to this past season. Clark had a tremendous season, and deserved NPOY. But we will never know how Paige and UConn would have fared had she not been injured. If you want to suggest that Clark is more “durable” than Paige, I absolutely agree. But suggesting that because Clark was healthy and Paige was not, Clark is a better “basketball player” is just nonsense.

I agree with your points but here's a correction on Bueckers' knee injury.

Paige Bueckers out eight weeks after undergoing successful left knee surgery

 

[oldude]

Being able to stay on the court is a quality all of its own, and part of what makes a great player great.

That sounds catchy, until you consider all the great players who dealt with and overcame serious injuries. At UConn that includes Shea, Sveta, Sue, DT & Stewie along with Paige. There are countless other great athletes in many different sports who have overcome major injuries: Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Buster Posey, Paul George….and the list goes on and on.

Anyone who’s competed in sports for any length of time has dealt with serious injury at one time or another. A player’s greatness is not determined by their ability to avoid injury, but rather by their ability to overcome injury.

It is my sincere hope and belief that Paige will be back, better than ever, next season, and if she does come all the way back, her journey from all the injuries that have plagued her career to date will be one of Paige’s greatest achievements.