Was Geno Auriemma taking a shot at Caitlin Clark by calling Paige Bueckers ‘the best player in America’?

Now, look: Caitlin Clark is amazing. Paige Bueckers is also amazing. We could leave it at that.

But legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma might be playing some mind games, especially now that women’s March Madness is in full swing.

Bueckers led the Huskies to a win over Syracuse in the second round on Monday wit a 32-10-6 game. Afterwards, Auriemma declared she was “the best player in America,” basing it on the analytics and such.

Now: was that a shot at Clark? Especially if they meet later in the tourney? Or was it a way to pump up Bueckers?

I’d say the latter, probably. But you make the call:

"We have the best player in America. Just saying that because the numbers, in this world of analytics, say that she is. And the stat sheet says that she is. And everybody that watched knows it"

– Geno Auriemma on Paige Bueckers pic.twitter.com/xEoiXuEBQk

— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) March 26, 2024