Iowa @ #10 Indiana - 3/03/21

[JordyG]

You would need to be more active on defense than Clark is to get "tired legs syndrome".

Still Clarke plays large minutes, is pressed from inbounds while bringing the ball up, is pressed on the perimeter, and is constantly face guarded. All on an above average team where the pressure to be the high scorer every game just for her team to be competitive can be crushing for some. I know Paige is our golden girl, but give Clarke credit, her conditioning is very good indeed.

 

[Gurleyman]

Still Clarke plays large minutes, is pressed from inbounds while bringing the ball up, is pressed on the perimeter, and is constantly face guarded. All on an above average team where the pressure to be the high scorer every game just for her team to be competitive can be crushing for some. I know Paige is our golden girl, but give Clarke credit, her conditioning is very good indeed.

Yeah - that’s fair. Felt the same about Paige’s conditioning when she looked gassed with 5 minutes to go in regulation against SC and she responded with a perfect final 10 minutes, but perhaps it’s caught up to her. I’d like to think a combination of things led to her tailing off a bit the last two weeks - the regular season title being clinched, the games not being too close, feeling a bit worn down and losing focus with not a lot at stake. But we’ll see if she looks recharged this weekend. I’d feel a little better going into the postseason if she was playing like Clark is right now.

 

[STLCardinal]

Still Clarke plays large minutes, is pressed from inbounds while bringing the ball up, is pressed on the perimeter, and is constantly face guarded. All on an above average team where the pressure to be the high scorer every game just for her team to be competitive can be crushing for some. I know Paige is our golden girl, but give Clarke credit, her conditioning is very good indeed.

All fair points, but I do think she takes a break on defense. I also think that's by design. Different approaches by different coaches. She and Bueckers are both really, really good. But in my mind they are different types of players, both scorers but different types. I also think Bueckers moves more in the course of the offense, but that's required in UConn's system. I don't like individual awards, but they are given out. And when one for Player of the Year is awarded, every phase of the game should be considered. I know that's not the point you were making, it's just my two cents towards all the writings about who should win Freshman Player of the Year.

 

[Dillon77]

Clark drove more today than I have ever seen her drive. She is hard to guard.

Left- and right-handed hard lay-ups, along with a finger roll extension. And then the pull-up lean in, sometimes with a regular jumper and sometimes a one-handed push. It's like checking off a catalogue of possible shots.
And then there's the jumpers.

If and when Paige and Clark are in the same lineup in the future, watch out world.

 

[pacific 44]

This type of combo will be seen next year at the Paige/Azzi show.